NAHANT — Johnson School’s Improvement plan for the 2022-23 school year focuses on social studies reflective of the new developments in American society, such as enhanced diversity and inclusion.
Music, mental wellness, and new technologies to help to monitor progress will also be the areas of particular attention in the school.
“We are trying to focus now on social studies and thinking about how we can have a really inclusive school and diversity and making sure that we are supporting all students and that everybody feels welcomed at the school,” said Principal Kevin Andrews.
He said that with so much change in modern American culture, with more highlight placed on inclusion, diversity, and groups that have been overlooked in the past, the school wants to make sure that it has an opportunity to educate students about “wonderful aspects of diversity and how we include and learn about all members of history.”
For better diversity and inclusion, the students can now take part in a project about inspirational or creative individuals that come from a background or gender that has been overlooked in the past. Color dress-up days might be one of the ways to show support for LGBTQ+ community, blood disorders and autism awareness month, etc.
The school will also try to identify and install images and symbols that it can use to send a message of its inclusivity. School administration will also invite families to educate school members about their cultures, conditions, and interests through spirit days.
To review the new activities a Social Studies Committee composed of School Committee member Beth Anderson, Andrews, a teacher, and a parent has been formed to review “the latest and the greatest of social studies curricula and again with an eye to diversity and inclusion,” said Andrews.
Another area the school improvement plan puts special emphasis on is music.
“We thought it would be helpful to have a music curriculum in place,” said Andrews.
He said that the school selected a curriculum, and that it is something that never happened in the past. This curriculum includes a lot of traditional music and folk songs and videos that support it. The new study plan is aimed at making sure that the school is also art inclusive.
As for the traditional areas of focus in Johnson School, ELA and math, in addition to using some new materials for them, the improvement plan also introduces new programs such as Fountas and Pinnell Classroom that will help to collect data about student learning and identify progress to “make individualized plans to help students succeed,” Andrew said.
All those measures are aimed at creating an opportunity for students to practice their skills in ELA and math in a supportive, academic environment, reads the school improvement plan. Other technologies, such as signup roster IXL will be used for differentiated instruction after the diagnostic assigned at the midpoint of each trimester.
“We are looking to try to collect data about student learning, and with both of those programs we are able to find out how the students are doing and their assessments,” said Andrews.
The school also got a new data dashboard, where the students’ reading, the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment system (MCAS), and math scores will be in one place to be tracked over the year and identify growth, said Andrews.
The plan mentions creating a database of resources that can be used to teach lessons in all disciplines, utilizing Google Sheets and Docs to develop lessons based on natural resources, and strengthening and developing partnerships with community groups including Peabody Essex Museum (PEM), Nahant Education Foundation (NEF), Nahant Historical Society (NHS), Town Library, and others to support lessons in marine science and maritime history.
Along with technology, music, and social studies focus the school will also create opportunities to support mental health wellness. The Improvement Plan for 2022-2023 suggests executing a program on how to discuss emotions and feelings, how to calm oneself when overwhelmed, and develop skills for self-regulation.
In addition to the new developments Johnson School continues to highlight initiatives aimed at promoting the full use of the campus and improvement of the facility to optimize the learning environment and increase student engagement.
All new developments are in line with the established school mission of facilitating, supporting, and celebrating academic excellence as students are challenged individually and inspired to reach their full potential as productive members of our community and global society.
Oksana Kotkina can be reached at [email protected].
