Sam Placentino Elementary School

Mrs. Linda Weene
weenel@holliston.k12.ma.us
Office: 508-429-0647
Fax: 508-429-0691

"Respect, Responsibility, Excellence, Innovation"

Curriculum, Health and Well-Being, and Communication are the
critical issues of our 2010-2011 School Improvement Plan and continue
to drive the work that we do at Placentino all year long. This is the second
year of our literacy Reading Street research project. This project has
provided our school with materials that have far exceeded my expectation
in terms of quality and educational integrity. In addition to excellent
“cutting-edge” and research-based materials, our staff continues to receive
professional support to ensure that the program is being presented with
fidelity and accuracy in our classrooms. There is no doubt in my mind that
our affiliation with Pearson and the introduction of the Reading Street
program will provide an opportunity for our students that will have positive
effects as they use their skills to leverage learning in all curriculum
content areas. The Reading Street program supports the most important
work that we do at Placentino - teaching children how to read.

I am very pleased that the 2010 Miller MCAS scores showed gains across
critical areas. The “Miller MCAS is Placentino’s Report Card,” and the
on-going goal is that with solid programming and instruction (EnVISION
Math and Reading Street) these gains will continue.

Creating a “healthy” early elementary experience involves more than just
a strong curriculum base. One component of our “healthy” school involves
providing more opportunities for in-class interventions. Response
to Intervention (RTI) solidifies skills and generalizes the “core instruction”
that is an integral part of each student’s day. Since the beginning
of this year we have worked towards creating “supportive classroom
systems” that provide our children with resources that will appropriately
encourage learning through integration of skill development with peers.
“Wellness Wednesday” is another new component of our “healthy”
school. Encouraging parents to send their child to school with a healthy
snack on Wednesdays is one way that we can help our young students
begin to make healthy food choices now and for their futures.

The language of “Open Circle” continues to emphasize our ongoing goal
of helping our young students develop strong, “healthy” and useful skills
for social competency and conflict resolution. Discussions with our students
that reflect the importance of “using kind words and actions” with
each other are prevalent in all areas of our school. The success of our
YUMMY rules in the cafeteria and “Golden Bus Awards” are indicators
that when children are encouraged to work together to follow clear,
positive rules and guidelines, then everyone benefits. We will continue
to develop ways for students to work together as we expand our system
of positive supports, PBIS (A Positive Behavior Intervention System).
I am very pleased with our accomplishments in the area of communication.

The addition of “Do You Have a Question?” on our Placentino
School Homepage provides an opportunity for parents and visitors to ask
questions including those regarding registration, enrollment and programs.
I’ve also created a personal blog, “Placentino on Parade,” in an effort to
keep parents informed of Placentino happenings frequently and with easy
accessibility. In addition, one of our focuses this year has been to integrate
2.0 technology tools into our work with students, each other and
with our parent community. Wikis, Nings and other tools now join teacher
web-sites as vehicles for enhanced communication and student learning.
As a district, we are committed to keeping step with the “fast pace” of the
changing educational world around us. How students learn in the future
and ensuring that they have the ability to effectively access the information
they need to learn is a challenge that we are constantly addressing.

Our partnership with the Holliston Pantry Shelf received a huge boost from
our students and families with our Thanksgiving Food Drive! The generosity
of our students is a wonderful way to learn the gift of giving to others!

Thank you!

Mrs. Linda Weene

Placentino Home Page

Holliston Public Schools