5.17

Hi All, 

I hope that you are all still out relishing in the beauty that has been this weekend. While we're all extra dirty and filled with bug bites I am so grateful for the sunshine and the promise that the "big green payback" is coming! 

You all are navigating all the end of the year chaos very well. Keep up the fantastic work. 

Observations from the Field

• Staff communicating need to each other clearly and respectfully
• Staff working to provide new opportunities for students 
• Staff who are going the extra mile to make sure that kids feel connected and supported
• Staff working together to make sure that we are pulling in the same direction 
• Students expressing themselves using multiple modes of expression (written, visual, audio)     

News and Announcements

• Given the announcement of class configuration and who is teaching where I wanted to give a heads up of how students will be placed. 
• First, current grade level teachers will make lists 
• Second, the lists will be reviewed/feedback with interventionists and special education teacher 
• Third, lists will be reviewed/feedback by specials teachers 
• Fourth, lists will be reviewed by classroom teachers
• Celia makes final placement/decisions. Letters are sent over summer.  
• Please note that class placement is confidential and parents will be notified over the summer of where their child is/will be placed. 
• Memorial Day Whole School Meeting--- DATE CHANGE 
• We will be having a whole school meet on Friday May 22nd from 2:50-3:20. I apologize, we have a scheduling meeting off campus. I mixed up my dates. 
• Whole School Meeting/Den Groups through the end of the year 
• Whole School Meeting--- May 14th 
• Whole School Meeting--- May 22nd 
• Den Groups w/Special Video Request--- June 4th  
• Whole School Meeting/Activity--- June 15th 9:30-10:45
• Upcoming Dates
• May 19th: Art/Music Show
• May 22nd-- Whole School Meeting 
• June 9th— 6th Step-Up Day
• June 10th--- Field Day/BBQ 
• June 16th– 6th Grade Graduation at 6:00 
• June 17th–Half Day Grading 

• June 18th—Inservice Day 

Field Trips
• Thursday, May 28 - 1st Grade goes to Book Buddies at U32
• Friday, May 29 - Kindergarten goes to Autumn Raynes Farm
• Friday, June 5 - 5th & 6th Grade goes to Great Escape
• Tuesday, June 9 - 4th Grade goes to VT Statehouse and History Museum

• Tuesday, June 9 - 1st and 2nd Grade goes to Montshire Museum

• Marshall Memo 1137

  This week's quotes and articles come from Learning on Purpose, The Rithm Project, The Power of Why, Education Disrupted, The New Yorker, Educational Leadership, Edutopia, Principal Leadership, Communique, Scientists in the Making, Principal, Adrian's Newsletter, and Leadership Freak. Here are the headlines:

  • What is the role of brick-and-mortar schools in the years ahead?
  • A parent worries about AI in her children's classrooms
  • Jim Knight on fast-track instructional coaching
  • How to prevent tearful last-minute pleas for grade changes
  • Dealing with kids' withdrawal symptoms after playing addictive games
  • Getting the most out of small erasable whiteboards
  • Talking so parents understand
  • A teacher's year-end to-do list
  • Complainers and builders

  If you want an HTML version of this week's Memo, please click here.

  To listen to a podcast of last week's issue (#1136), click here.

  For a podcast of this week's Memo, log in at www.marshallmemo.com later this week and click Podcasts.

I want to highlight these two articles from the Marshall Memo:

7. Getting the Most Out of Small Erasable Whiteboards

            In this Scientists in the Making article, Marcie Samayoa says mini-whiteboards can be an excellent way to check for understanding with every student in a class – and use real-time data to adjust instruction accordingly. But in her high-school science classes, Samayoa noticed a problem:

-   She explained a concept and gave a worked example.

-   She gave students a new problem and they solved it on their whiteboards.

-   When the whiteboards were held up, half the class had incorrect answers.

-   She explained it again, addressing the error she saw on the boards.

-   But when students tried a new problem, half the class still got wrong answers.

What was going on? Samayoa believes it was because “despite the teacher providing students feedback on their answers, students are not applying the feedback to their own work.”

            It took her a while to figure out a solution, but she finally found it in Tick-Trick, a system for getting students to apply feedback to their mini-whiteboard responses. Here’s how it works:

-   Students solve a problem on their whiteboards.

-   The teacher scans the responses, visibly craning to see all whiteboards.

-   The teacher refrains from providing individual feedback (Angela, you really understand this.).

-   The teacher goes over the solution, telling students to put a checkmark by each part they have correct, which gets students applying feedback to their work in real time.

-   In her class, Samoya reports hearing a lot of “Ohhhhhhhs” as students do this.

-   Students write their number of checkmarks in the top corner of their whiteboards.

-   Students hold up their whiteboards again for accountability.

-   If some students are faking their checkmarks, Samayoa spots them and follows up individually.

“The Missing Piece to Mini Whiteboards” by Marcie Samayoa in Scientists in the Making, May 6, 2026; Samayoa can be reached at scientistsinthemakingblog@gmail.com; her previous article on mini-whiteboards is here.

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8. Talking So Parents Understand

            In this article in Principal, Windy Lopez-Aflitto (Learning Heroes) says the words educators use can confuse or worry parents. Some examples and suggested alternatives:

What we say: self-regulation

What parents hear: This sounds like my child is going through some kind of therapy.

Try this: self-control

What we say: grit

What parents hear: dirt, difficulty, something hard

Try this: taking on challenges, pushing yourself, learning from mistakes and effort

What we say: growth mindset

What parents hear: The ability of child’s mind to expand and grow increases over time.

Try this: learning from mistakes, hard work pays off, it’s all in the effort

What we say: executive function

What parents hear: Is this going to the bathroom?

Try this: organizational skills, setting goals, ability to focus, managing time well

What we say: resilience, perseverance, persistence

            What parents hear: Their child is unhappy or struggling.

            Try this: bouncing back, sticking with it, learning from mistakes, overcoming obstacles

“The Power of School-Home Partnerships” by Windy Lopez-Aflitto in Principal, May/June 2026; the full report is Developing Life Skills in Children: A Road Map for Communicating with Parents, 2018

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What's Happening at BES?

Monday 5/18	HJC 8:15
Tuesday 5/19	Concert Rehearsal 1:00 Concert 5:30-7:00
Wednesday 5/20	Teacher PD 8:20-9:20  No Staff Meeting  Board Meeting 6:00
Thursday  5/21
Friday 5/22	Team Meetings 3-6 Academic Whole School Meeting---Memorial Day 2:55-3:20

Where is Celia?

Monday 5/18	HJC 8:15 Union Meeting 10:00-10:30  Student Meeting 11:00-12:00 SPED Meeting 11:40 Student Meeting 3:45
Tuesday 5/19	WCLT In Person 8:30-12:00 **Celia Out until 12:30
Wednesday 5/20	Joelle Recap virtual 8:00-8:30 Teacher PD 8:20-9:20  Student Meeting 10:00  WCLT Nuts and Bolts 1:00-2:00 Board Meeting
Thursday  5/21	Student Meeting 8:15 BES SST 10:00-10:45 Elementary School Scheduling Bootcamp 1:00-4:00
Friday 5/22	Student Meeting 12:00-12:45 Team Meetings 3-6 Academic