Swampscott plans Hadley School celebration

SWAMPSCOTT – A birthday bash is in the works for Hadley Elementary School, which was built in 1911.Superintendent Lynne Celli told the School Committee at its meeting Wednesday evening that on Feb. 11, Hadley Elementary School would have a 100th birthday celebration.Celli said Hadley parent Annie Pulaski and several other Hadley parents have volunteered to coordinate the festivities. The third and fourth grade choruses are scheduled to perform at the Feb. 11 event and a parent has volunteered to provide birthday cakes for the occasion. Celli said senior citizens, who attended Hadley as children would also be invited to participate in the celebration.According to Principal Sandra Rivers, the cornerstone dedication was held on Dec. 21, 1911. She said historical documents indicate there may be a time capsule of sorts in the cornerstone.Celli said as the year progresses, there would be more discussion about whether it is possible to try and remove the contents of the cornerstone.The PTA has booked historian Janet L. Parnes to visit during the celebration to share fun facts about Hadley, which was built in 1911 to replace the former Redington Street School. Celli added an annex was added to the existing structure in 1925 and over the years the school has housed elementary, junior high and high school students.In other business, Rivers discussed “looping” a small pilot program that has been under way at Hadley. She explained looping is a practice in which a teacher stays with the same class for more than one year. For example, a teacher begins with a group of first-grade students and instead of sending those students on to a new teacher continues with them through second grade.Hadley teacher Mike Citino initially proposed looping at Hadley and this is his second year with the same group of students.”It has been an amazing experience for lots of reasons,” he said. “Every type of child benefits.”Citino said teachers and students hit the ground running at the beginning of the school year instead of starting from scratch each year.”In September I started day one as if school never ended in June,” he said.Teachers begin instruction immediately, rather than spending time assessing student achievement or developing classroom procedures. Students pick up where they left off instructionally and socially and are able to get into the swing of school quickly.Rivers added research has shown students benefit from looping academically and socially.”I believe wholeheartedly it benefits the children,” she said.Rivers said she believes the pilot was successful and next year she would like to expand it to two classrooms. She emphasized participation in looping would be voluntary on the part of the teachers and parents could opt out of having their child in a looped class.Celli agreed looping has its benefits but she cautioned it is not something that should be mandated by the superintendent.”It has to be the staff that embraces the philosophy,” she said. “It can not be mandated from the top down. I believe there has to be a traditional alternative as well for teachers and parents.”Celli and the School Committee agreed it would be worthwhile to expand looping to a second class this fall at Hadley.