Easton Middle School

Easton Middle School to Host Massachusetts STEM Week Professional Development Training

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Easton Public Schools
Dr. Lisha Cabral, Superintendent
50 Oliver St.
North Easton, MA 02356

For Immediate Release

Friday, June 7, 2019

Media Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: [email protected]

Easton Middle School to Host Massachusetts STEM Week Professional Development Training

EASTON — Superintendent Lisha Cabral is pleased to share that approximately 120 educators will attend a professional development Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) training at Easton Middle School this June.

On Monday, June 17, and Tuesday, June 18, at Easton Middle School, approximately 70 Easton educators and 50 others from nearby communities will attend an i2 Learning training in preparation for the second annual Massachusetts STEM week this October.

The first Massachusetts STEM Week was held in October 2018 in an effort by the Baker-Polito Administration to support middle school students’ interest in STEM education.

i2 Learning is an organization that works to offer students hands-on, immersive STEM learning opportunities by providing professional development, project materials and online support to schools, free of charge. The organization’s services are funded entirely by donations from corporations, local foundations and other organizations including Vertex, Mathworks, State Street, Lynch Foundation, Shah Family Foundation, Boston Foundation and the Massachusetts Life Science Center.

“We’re thrilled to be offering this professional development opportunity to educators from Easton and neighboring communities,” Superintendent Cabral said. “STEM week is a wonderful opportunity for schools to really submerge students in STEM topics and projects, and i2 Learning’s programming and assistance will really bring this October’s events to the next level.”

Educators at the June training will review the engineering design process and project-based learning principles. They will then take on the role of their students and participate in the activities their classes will be tasked with this fall.

“Our staff is looking forward to this opportunity, and the exciting STEM lessons our students will be engaging in this fall,” Superintendent Cabral said. “Thank you to i2 Learning for providing us with the resources and support to give our students a STEM week experience that will fully submerge them in these topics.”

This summer, i2Learning will offer 12-15 workshops and train upwards of 700 Massachusetts educators for this year’s STEM week.

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Easton Middle School Students to Present at Statehouse Learning Showcase

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Easton Public Schools
Dr. Lisha Cabral, Superintendent
50 Oliver St.
North Easton, MA 02356

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Media Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: [email protected]

Easton Middle School Students to Present at Statehouse Learning Showcase

EASTON — Superintendent Lisha Cabral is pleased to share that four Easton Middle School students will present videos they created using green screen technology at the State House this June.

Four students, sixth grader Anthony Rhodes; seventh grader Antonia Saade; sixth grader Robert Dobbin; and seventh grader Isabel Domenico, will give presentations to legislators at Education Evolution, a learning showcase, in the Hall of Flags at the State House on Wednesday, June 5. The students will be accompanied at the showcase by Jessica Garbowski, a media specialist at Easton Middle School, and Jeanne Baxter, a sixth grade teacher.

The showcase is being held by Massachusetts Computer Using Educators (MassCUE), a Massachusetts affiliate of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).

Students will give presentations at the showcase about projects and coursework they’ve completed with the assistance of various technologies. The goal of the event is to highlight the technology available to support children and teens in the classroom as they become global citizens. Groups of between two and four students were selected to present after an application process earlier this school year.

All four Easton Middle School students will present projects they created in their sixth grade social studies class under the guidance of their teacher, Jeanne Baxter. The students used a “Think Tank,” an innovative classroom space with flexible furniture, collaborative devices and state-of-the-art technology including iPad Minis with tripods, Chromebooks, Chromecasts, a Promethean Interactive panel, green screens and six smart TVs, to create videos about topics such as Ancient Greece and early man. The students researched their topics for their videos, wrote scripts, created storyboards, acted and edited their videos.

“These students are thrilled to have the opportunity to present their projects to their representatives and explain how this technology enhanced their learning of these topics,” Garbowski said. “Integrating this technology into their studies has allowed them to be creative and brought their analysis of these civilizations to another level.”

Across the state, 40 student groups were chosen to present in the showcase.

“It’s an honor that our students were selected to share some of the work we’re doing here at Easton Public Schools to bring technology into the classroom to supplement and augment student learning,” Superintendent Cabral said. “It’s also thrilling to see how excited our middle school students were to use this technology to create these projects and elevate their studies.”

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Easton High School Student Receives International Recognition for Organizing STEM Event at Middle School

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Easton Public Schools
Dr. Lisha Cabral, Superintendent
50 Oliver St.
North Easton, MA 02356

For Immediate Release

Monday, April 29, 2019

Media Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: [email protected]

Easton High School Student Receives International Recognition for Organizing STEM Event at Middle School

Junior Olivia Pierce named 24 Under 24 Leader and Innovator in STEAM and Space by The Mars Generation

EASTON — Superintendent Lisha Cabral is pleased to announce that Oliver Ames High School student Olivia Pierce was recognized last week by the international non-profit The Mars Generation for her efforts in organizing a STEM conference for Easton Middle School students.

On Tuesday, April 22, Pierce was selected to receive one of The Mars Generation’s 24 Under 24 Leaders and Innovators in STEAM and Space Awards for 2019. The 17-year-old junior was selected as one of 24 teenagers and adults from across the United States, Puerto Rico, India, France and Brazil to receive the award.

“The group is comprised of young people from around the world who are breaking barriers in science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) fields and bringing the sciences to the public through multidisciplinary interests,” according to an announcement by The Mars Generation.

When Pierce was a seventh grader at Easton Middle School, she attended a STEM summit for girls at Regis College in Weston. The conference was led by several inspiring women presenters who piqued Pierce’s interest in STEM, propelling her to pursue a career in mechanical and aerospace engineering.

Wanting to inspire other students to gain the appreciation for STEM that she has, in 2018 she worked to bring a similar conference to the middle school as a way to introduce students to the many career paths that STEM offers.

The result was the Easton Middle School STEM Discovery Conference, which was held on Oct. 13 last year. Pierce organized the event, booking eight presenters to speak to the students about their respective STEM fields in space, engineering, math, computer science, nanotechnology and medicine.

Speakers who came and presented at the conference included STEM experts from Yale University, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Stonehill College and Northeastern University.

Pierce also promoted the conference herself online, creating a Twitter account and website for the event, and pitching the idea to local media outlets. In addition, she had to present her idea in front school faculty and Superintendent Cabral.

About 75 Easton Middle School students attended the free conference in the fall.

“The Discovery Conference was an engaging and informative event that Olivia put together and was truly an inspiring testament to what a student can do when they put their mind and heart to something,” Superintendent Cabral said. “When she came to us last year the conference was just an idea. To now see her honored for her efforts by The Mars Generation is truly amazing. Thanks to Olivia, over 70 students who attended the conference were introduced to STEM in a unique way that may have helped to spark their interest in the vast and versatile world of STEM.”

Following up on her success with the Discovery Conference, Pierce is now working toward expanding the program to other high schools so that even more students can have hands-on STEM experiences. After graduation Pierce plans on attending college to pursue her degree.

Others who won the 24 Under 24 award designed mobile apps for social causes, founded nonprofits for science education and inclusion, built open-source lead detection technology, 3D printed prosthetic limbs, developed multi-state star party programs and facilitated in-class programs in areas of the world where science education is undervalued.

About The Mars Generation

The goal of the organization is to advance public interest in human space exploration and advocate for NASA’s journey to Mars. The Mars Generation will also serve as a catalyst to identify students with an interest in these areas and nurture their study in STEM education.

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Easton Police Investigating After Antique Cartridge Found at Middle School

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For Immediate Release

Friday, March 15, 2019

Media Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: [email protected]

Easton Police Investigating After Antique Cartridge Found at Middle School

School Deemed Safe After Brief Shelter in Place

EASTON — Police Chief Gary Sullivan and Superintendent Lisha Cabral report that the Easton Police Department is investigating after a single antique ammunition cartridge was found inside of the Easton Middle School Friday morning.

At this time, there is no reason to believe that there is an active threat to the school.

Out of an abundance of caution, a shelter in place was enacted while police thoroughly searched the school with officers and a K9. Classes went on as normal, but students were not allowed to go into the hallways to ensure that they did not come in contact with the K9. The shelter in place has since been lifted and no weapons or dangerous items were located in the search.

At approximately 8:30 a.m., a school staff member found the round of ammunition – an antique, corroded .22 caliber short rimfire round – in a storage area that has limited access to both students and staff. Easton Police have confirmed that this type of round has not been manufactured in over 50 years.

The staff member immediately notified school officials, who then contacted Easton Police.

No other schools were impacted by the incident and the school day will continue on as normal.

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