Medway Middle School

Medway Middle School Rewarding Student Behavior Through New Positive Office Referral Program

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Medway Public Schools
Armand Pires, Superintendent
45 Holliston St.
Medway, MA 02053

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2019

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

Medway Middle School Rewarding Student Behavior Through New Positive Office Referral Program

MEDWAY — Superintendent Armand Pires is pleased to announce that starting this year, students at Medway Middle School will receive special recognition through the new Positive Office Referral program.

Positive office referrals are a chance for any staff member to “write up” a student when they are spotted demonstrating the school’s core values of “responsibility, respect and rising above.”

Principal Craig Juelis said he has received positive referrals from classroom teachers, teachers supervising other grades at lunch or recess, and even from fellow students.

“In too many cases, we don’t celebrate the good deeds that are happening each day in our building,” Principal Juelis said. “This provides us with an opportunity to promote and call out the many positive things that our students are doing each day that may have gone unnoticed.”  

Juelis said he first learned of the Positive Office Referral program several years ago while listening to Beth Houf, a middle school principal from Missouri, during a leadership conference. 

As part of the referral program, students receive a certificate that identifies the core value they lived up to and the teacher’s description of how the student earned the recognition. 

Students have received referrals for moving their lockers to help a classmate, offering a student a pencil case who didn’t have one, making consistent improvements in their academic and behavioral performance, helping show new students around the building in their first few days, working through particularly difficult academic work, and more.

In some cases, staff members will inform the student they are receiving a positive referral, while other times students are surprised by the recognition when called to Juelis’ office. 

Juelis said the school also reaches out to parents to share the student’s achievement.

“Parents or guardians are very excited to hear this good news from the school,” Juelis said. “It is very important that families receive regular communication from the school, especially when their student has done something to earn this kind of positive recognition.”

Since the program began in September, referrals have been given out weekly and more than two dozen have been rewarded so far.

As a way to further celebrate positive behavior in the school, Juelis said last year he revised a past practice of celebrating noteworthy staff deeds with a program called “staff shouts.”

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Medway Public Schools Invites Parents to Attend Film Screening, Panel About Screen Time and Stress Resilience in Teenagers

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Medway Public Schools
Armand Pires, Superintendent
45 Holliston St.
Medway, MA 02053

 

For Immediate Release

Monday, Sept. 30, 2019

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

Medway Public Schools Invites Parents to Attend Film Screening, Panel About Screen Time and Stress Resilience in Teenagers

MEDWAY — Superintendent Armand Pires would like to invite parents to attend the district’s screening of “Screenagers: Next Chapter” next month. Parents will be able to watch the film and hear from a panel of experts to learn about how screen time may be affecting their teenagers.

WHEN:

Wednesday, Oct. 16, at 7-8:30 p.m.

WHERE:

Medway High School auditorium, 88 Summer St.

WHAT:

Hosted by Medway’s T.H.R.I.V.E. and SEPAC, parents are invited to attend a screening of “Screenagers: Next Chapter.”

The film follows a physician who tries to find a way to help her own teenagers with their mental and emotional well-being. The film, which includes input from brain researchers, psychologists and other thought-leaders, explores how teenagers’ well-being is impacted by screens and how parents and schools can help teenagers develop skills to overcome mental and emotional health challenges.

The film will be shown to all Medway middle and high school students during school that day.

T.H.R.I.V.E. and SEPAC are hosting the event because student data shows that over the last several years anxiety has been one of the greatest health concerns. This rise in student anxiety is correlated with an increase in screen time and social media use. The groups hope that having both students and parents watch the film will initiate a discussion about screen time and its impact on mental health.

“Having a conversation with your child about mental health and screen time can be challenging,” Medway Public Schools Director of Wellness Dr. Ryan Sherman said. “However, it is our hope that by both parties watching the same film on the same day, it will provide a jumping-off point toward a discussion that allows the parent and student to share their experiences and thoughts about these issues.”

Following the screening, there will be a panel discussion. The panel will feature the following experts in the field of mental health and screen time: Rose Cheyette from Samaritans Inc., Medway Public Schools Technology Integration Specialist Ryan Camire and both a high school and elementary school social worker.

“One of our most important priorities as a district is the wellness of our students,” Superintendent Pires said. “Students are usually attached to their electronics so it’s important that they and their parents understand how screen time can affect them and what they can do to ensure it doesn’t negatively affect their well-being.”

About Medway T.H.R.I.V.E.:

Medway T.H.R.I.V.E. (Tools for Health, Resiliency, Inclusiveness, Vitality and Empowerment) is a committee dedicated to providing wellness-related, family enrichment opportunities to the Medway community. T.H.R.I.V.E. is comprised of a cross-sectional group of Medway Public School administrators, teachers and staff, as well as numerous parent representatives.

About Medway SEPAC:

The Special Education Parent Advisory Council advises the school committee on matters that affect the education of students with disabilities and provides input on district special education programs.

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Medway Middle School Students Win Award for Designing Adaptive Children’s Toy

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Medway Public Schools
Armand Pires, Superintendent
45 Holliston St.
Medway, MA 02053

 

For Immediate Release

Friday, June 7, 2019

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

Medway Middle School Students Win Award for Designing Adaptive Children’s Toy

MEDWAY –Superintendent Armand Pires is pleased to share that a group of Medway Middle School students won an award this Tuesday for an adaptive toy they designed for the annual Project Lead the Way Children’s Hospital Design Showcase.

Seventh grade students Kelsea Anderson, Lily Bariteau, Ellie Copeland, Caitlin MacNeil, Emma Reardon and Bella Vallieres were among 110 students from 16 Massachusetts schools that attended Mass STEM Hub’s second annual design showcase for Project Lead the Way on Tuesday, June 4, at the Merck Research Laboratories in Boston.

Student groups were challenged to design, test and build an adaptive toy for a child with cerebral palsy for the showcase using their knowledge of the engineering design process, critical measurement and mathematical modeling, computer-aided design and cerebral palsy. Students learned about these concepts in a Design and Modeling Project Lead the Way (PLTW) unit earlier this school year.

At the showcase, students presented their projects to doctors and patients of the cerebral palsy unit of Boston Children’s Hosptial. Gov. Charlie Baker and Boston Children’s Hospital CEO Sandra Fenwick also attended the showcase and met with students in the competition.

“This showcase was such a wonderful opportunity for our students to challenge themselves,” Superintendent Pires said. “They created incredibly thoughtful, useful projects, and it’s so exciting to see them using the knowledge they gained this school year to create something meaningful.”

Anderson, Copeland, Reardon and Vallieres were awarded the Practitioners’ Pick award at the showcase, which is given to the project with the most real-world promise at the competition each year. The four students built a multi-functional fidget contraption for the competition, which they designed to support cognitive, sensory and physical therapy for children ages one through 12 with cerebral palsy. The toy features matching, spinning, listening and drawing games for patients to play independently or with an occupational therapist. These features of the toy were designed to engage the cerebral palsy patient’s imagination and senses while strengthening eye-hand coordination.

MacNeil and Bariteau partnered to build a “Toys for Kids Fruit Matcher” toy for the showcase as well, which tasks the patient with matching a soft, squishy “fruit” to a cup the same color as that fruit. MacNeil and Bariteau designed the toy to provide cognitive, physical and sensory therapy to children with cerebral palsy during occupational therapy, and to help patients stretch their finger and hand muscles.

“Project Lead the Way has done a wonderful job of engaging our students and making them excited to learn about STEM topics,” said Medway Middle School Principal Craig Juelis. “This showcase gave students an opportunity to see first-hand how the topics they’re learning about in class can be applied to help others and make an impact in the world, and that’s truly incredible. Congratulations to each of these students on a job well done.”

Project Lead The Way is an initiative of Mass STEM Hub, an organization providing access to and support for premier STEM programming. Project Lead The Way aims to make STEM part of students’ regular school day. The program offers K-12 curriculum in engineering, computer science, and biomedical science that engages students in problem-solving, critical thinking, collaboration and communication.

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Medway Public Schools Invites Parents, Residents to Attend Series of Upcoming Arts and Music Festivals

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Medway Public Schools
Armand Pires, Superintendent
45 Holliston St.
Medway, MA 02053

 

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

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

Medway Public Schools Invites Parents, Residents to Attend Series of Upcoming Arts and Music Festivals

MEDWAY –Superintendent Armand Pires is pleased to announce that Medway Public Schools has several arts and music festivals scheduled this May and June and is inviting all parents and residents to attend.

“These events are a perfect way for students to end the school year,” Superintendent Pires said. “Students have an opportunity to display their art, perform in front of friends and family, and showcase what they’ve learned both in class and in extracurricular activities. It’s a great celebration of student learning, talent and creativity.”

Upcoming events at Medway Public Schools include:

Pops Concert and Art Walk- Medway High School

On Wednesday, May 15, a Pops Concert and Art Walk will be held at Medway High School from 6-9 p.m. Starting at 6 p.m., student art will be displayed throughout the main lobby, and light refreshments will be available. Categories of artwork on display will include advanced fine art, foundation art, painting, drawing, ceramics, photography and graphic design.

A Pops Concert will begin at 7 p.m., which will include performances from the school’s Mixed Chorus, Treble Chorus and Concert Band.

McGovern Elementary School Art Show

On Tuesday, May 21, McGovern Elementary will hold an art show. Every student will have a piece of art they chose on display at the event. Parents, guardians and students will also be invited to take part in several activities, including spin art, taking a family photo at a teacher-run photo booth and mural painting. Students will also pick up their art portfolios during the art show, and parents and guardians will have the opportunity to write a letter to their student.

Student-made “Line monsters” will also be on display at the art show, showcasing “collage monsters” students created from lines, using paint, glue and scissors.

The art show will also serve as a school open house, and will include a scavenger hunt.

The art show will be open to preschool and kindergarten students and parents from 5:30-6:15 p.m., and from 6:30-7:15 p.m. for first grade students.

Chamber Concert and Honors Recital – Medway High School

On Wednesday, May 22, a Chambers Concert and Honors Recital will start at 6 p.m. in the high school auditorium. The concert will feature performances by the jazz band, flute ensemble and clarinet ensemble. Medway High School’s three a cappella groups, the Shirley Tempos, the Do Re Mi-gos and the Unaccompanied Minors will also perform.

Students in the Medway High Honors Music program will also perform solos and small group performances.

International Thespian Society Induction Ceremony and Performance- Medway High School

On Wednesday, May 28, an International Thespian Society Induction ceremony will be held in the Medway High School Auditorium at 6:00 p.m. A group of 23 students in grades 10-12 will be inducted into the school’s chapter of the society.

The International Thespian Society is an organization that recognizes and celebrates the achievements and dedication of high school students involved in all aspects of theater. All 23 students will also perform in a one-act play at the event.

Medway Middle School Band Concert

On Thursday, May 30, the Medway Middle School band concert will be held in the Medway High School auditorium. The grades five and six bands will perform from 6-7 p.m., and the grades seven and eight bands will perform between 7-8 p.m.

Arts Festival, Band and Chorus Concert – Burke-Memorial Elementary School

On Monday, June 3, an Arts Festival, Band and Chorus Concert will be held at Burke-Memorial Elementary School from 6-8 p.m.

Each student will have a piece of art displayed during the festival outside of his or her classroom. The art will reflect student’s individual voices and studies of basic art elements, such as color, line texture and shape.

The third and fourth grade chorus will also perform in the cafeteria at 6:30 p.m., and the fourth grade band will perform at 7:30 p.m.

Medway Middle School Spring Choral Concert

On Wednesday, June 5, Medway Middle School’s Spring Choral Concert will be held in the Medway High School auditorium. Students in chorus groups in grades five and six will perform from 6-7 p.m. and students in grades seven and eight will perform from 7-8 p.m.

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