Cushing School Mission:
Cushing School remains focused on the development of a joy and love of learning in a child- centered, comprehensive educational setting. Following a developmentally appropriate curriculum, we strive to build a child-centered school community with a strong home-school partnership which we deem essential to the social, emotional, and academic development of our students. Our primary goal is to ensure that all students acquire the needed skills to become independent and successful students. Educating all children in a safe and non-threatening environment is also of primary importance as we prepare our students to become life-long learners and productive members of our school community and society.

What Do We Believe at Cushing School?
We believe that every student is unique and capable of growth in learning. At Cushing School we believe in:

• Education of the whole child (the physical, social, and intellectual)
• Provision of developmentally appropriate educational experiences
• Emphasis on active, cooperative, inquiry-based learning experiences
• Building a foundation for life-long learning
• Addressing the needs of all students in the least restrictive environment

What Are Our Expectations?
Stressing responsible behavior and good citizenship, Cushing School has adopted the following expectations for our students.

• We expect you will represent our school in an outstanding manner.
• We expect you will work to the best of your ability.
• We expect you will treat others with dignity, worth, and respect.
• We expect you will keep our campus clean and beautiful.
• We expect you will obey the rules and regulations set forth by your teachers and the school
• We expect you will work to keep a positive relationship with parents, teachers, and friends.
• We expect you will reach beyond your grasp and learn new things.
• We expect you will make all of us very proud.

Our Staff
The Cushing School Staff is dedicated and composed of teachers whose background, training, and educational experience promote academic excellence. Cushing School is home to:

• Nineteen (19) general classroom teachers
• Fifteen (15) additional certified staff members serve our students in the areas of general education, special education, fine arts, specialty areas (Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech and Language), health services, and counseling
• Seventeen (17) non-certified staff members assist in the following areas: classroom, secretarial, special education, clerical, custodial, and food services.

Please visit the Faculty Link to learn the names and present assignments for all staff members at Cushing School.

Our Educational Programs
Our classrooms are environments that foster active learning. The curriculum supports an inquiry-based, hands-on approach to learning. A variety of teaching techniques and strategies is emphasized in providing meaningful learning experiences. Classes are heterogeneously grouped with flexible grouping employed to allow for the accommodation of a variety of learning needs and styles.

• Our Language Arts Curriculum is presently under revision. Teachers at Cushing School are participating in a pilot of two new language arts programs during the 2005-2006 academic year. Reading, writing, listening, speaking, language, phonics, and spelling skills are taught using quality literature in the two pilot programs. Additionally, teachers access a variety of quality literature using trade books from our Literacy Closet. Writers’ Workshop and Readers’ Workshop present numerous opportunities for individual and small group learning.
• Our Mathematics Curriculum has been updated this academic year. Connected Mathematics is used in Grades 5 and 6. Connected Mathematics is a program which meets the requirements of the state frameworks as well as the NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) Standards. Grades K-4 use the Everyday Math Program, which is also aligned to the state and NCTM Standards. Hands-on activities promote problem-solving and computational skills at all grade levels.
• Our Science Curriculum uses the Harcourt Science Program as its base and also promotes a hands-on approach to learning. Students are actively involved in observing, recording, and reporting on various experiments
• Our Social Studies Curriculum was revised and is now using a variety of materials in Grades K-6. Each grade level has new materials which are aligned to the adopted state curriculum frameworks in Social Science. We introduce our students to their community, their state, their country, and the world during the elementary years.
• At Cushing School, technology is stressed in all subject areas. The Curriculum Lab houses twenty-seven (27) networked eMac Computers. Each classroom also has at least one networked computer, but may have two and three networked computers.
• At Cushing School, Specialty Subject Areas are also an important component of our educational program. Specialists teach weekly classes in physical education, art, and music.
• When students require a “helping hand”, Student Support Services are available for those in need of Reading, Special Education, and ESL support. These services are delivered using in-class models when appropriate and pullout settings when indicated. Guidance services are available for individual students and for addressing esteem building and character development at grade level meetings.

Student Evaluation at Cushing School
Our students are constantly being assessed (formally and informally). Teachers utilize a wide variety of available options for recording and documenting students’ growth over their years at Cushing School.

Systemwide, our kindergarten students are assessed in the early fall using the Early Screening Inventory – Revised (ESI – K). In Grade 2, on a systemwide level, all students are administered the Gates MacGinitie Reading Test. This is a standardized test that provides our teachers with a decoding score, a vocabulary score, and a comprehension score on all of our second grade students. If areas of concern are noted, more extensive, individualized testing may take place. At Cushing School, the Gates MacGinitie is also given to all students in Grades 3 through 6. At these levels, a comprehension and vocabulary score as well as a total reading score results. Again, more detailed testing can take place if concerns are noted.

MCAS Testing (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System) is administered, as required by the Massachusetts Department of Education, in the spring of each academic year to:

• Grade 3 to assess reading skills
• Grade 4 to assess progress with regard to composition skills, English Language Arts, and Mathematics
• Grade 5 to assess progress in the area of Science/Technology/Engineering
• Grade 6 to assess mathematic skills
  Parent reports for MCAS testing are generated by the DOE (Department of Education) and mailed to parents upon receipt by the Scituate Public Schools.

In preparation for NCLB (No Child Left Behind) requirements, trial MCAS Tests will be administered again this academic year. Students in Grades 3 and 5 will take a Math Trial Test, students in Grades 5 and 6 will take a Reading Trial Test, and students in Grade 5 will take a Social Science Trial Test. Specifics on all of this testing can be found on the Massachusetts Department of Education web site (www.doe.mass.edu).

In addition to traditional testing, our teachers may use the following options to present a complete snapshot of a child’s educational experience and development to his/her parents:

• Teacher-made tests
• Diagnostic tests
• Portfolios
• Student self-evaluations
• Checklists and inventories
• Notations and informal observations
• Interviews with parents and students
• Writing samples in all subject areas
• Journal entries in all subject areas
• Technology projects
• Dictations

When a student is experiencing significant difficulties with academic assignments or adjustments to the school environment, the Cushing School Child Study Team (CST) is consulted. This team, which is comprised of Cushing Teachers (classroom and specialists), school psychologist, and administration, consults with the student’s classroom teacher to examine the child’s progress, attempts to identify the causes for his/her difficulties, and brainstorms intervention strategies to help the student. If determined by the CST Team, additional testing and eligibility for special education services or Section 504 services may take place.

The Cushing School Community
Cushing School is not just students and teachers. Parents play an extremely important role at Cushing. Parent participation takes many forms at Cushing School. Some of the ways parents make an impact on our school community are volunteering as:

• Room Parent
• Technology Volunteer
• Writer’s Workshop Volunteer
• Classroom Volunteer
• Reading Partners

Working on a PTO sub-committee such as gift wrap sales, class pictures, fall and spring book fairs, ice cream social, pre-k story time, sixth grade recognition, teacher appreciation luncheon, grandparents’/older friends’ day, spring fair, and school beautification are a wonderful way to support the students of our school community.

Additionally, the Cushing School Council is very much a part of the school community. The Council works as an advisory board to the building principal and plays a major role in the development of the yearly School Improvement Plan (see link on the SPS Curriculum Page). Service on either one of these boards proves to be a rewarding experience for parents throughout the school year.

Special Events at Cushing School
Throughout the school year many special programs take place at Cushing. Participation in and enthusiasm for these programs have grown over the years and provide opportunities for our students to shine. Some of the special events at Cushing School are:

• Literacy Day: Our school year ends with a wonderful celebration of our growth as learners over the school year. Every classroom participates in Literacy Day where special projects and activities are shared with other classrooms and parents. Author Shares, Poetry Readings, PowerPoint Presentations, and displays of published books, special projects and demonstrations are just some of the wonderful activities associated with this wonderful day.
• Physical Education Field Day: Our purpose in conducting this event was to focus on sportsmanship and teambuilding, reinforce physical activities and encourage active, healthy lifestyles in our students. Planned, lead, and organized by Mr. Kevin Sawyer, Physical Education Teacher at Cushing School, all students (parents and faculty as well) participated in a fun and successful movement experience.
• Band and Chorus Performances: The Grades 4, 5, and 6 Students at Cushing School have the opportunity to participate in Chorus and Band. The entire school gathers two times a year to celebrate the achievements of our Chorus and Band Students during the Winter Concert and the Spring Concert. An evening performance welcomes parents to join in this celebration. Spring for the Arts, a system wide celebration of the fine arts (music and art), includes the Cushing Band and Chorus.
• Cushing PTO Enrichment Programs: (associated with curriculum themes throughout the year) The Cushing PTO works with the Curriculum Leader at Cushing School to fund programs that enrich and supplement the curriculum at each grade level. Some of the programs sponsored by the PTO are various authors and illustrators who share their secrets and successes with us as we venture down the road to becoming strong readers and writers, various actors who portray important people in our history (Helen Keller, a Civil War Soldier, and the New England Colonists, etc.), and guest speakers who share their knowledge and first hand experience on various topics such as Native Americans, science topics (bats, physics, inventions, etc.).
• Diversity Day Celebration: The school community is invited to participate in a school wide assembly that celebrates the many ways we are alike and the many ways we are different from each other. Students learn of the similarities and differences with regard to race, religion, age, cultures, physical attributes, and learning styles.
• Portfolio Breakfasts: In the spring of each year (often tied in with Literacy Day), every classroom at Cushing invites parents and friends in to review the academic progress of each student using his/her portfolio. Teachers are facilitators at this time as the students are in charge of walking the parents through the showcase portfolio. We invite parents to comment on the work they review in addition to helping their child set goals for future growth.
• National Geography Bee: Students in Grades 4, 5, and 6 participate in the National Geography Bee using materials prepared by the National Geographic Society. The bee is held in thousands of schools in the United States and is open to students in Grades 4-8. The goal of the bee is to spark student interest in geography. Each classroom forwards finalists to the school bee, which determines the school champion and runner-up. The school champion takes a written test that is submitted to the National Geographic Society. If this student qualifies, he/she may advance to the district, state, and national bee.
• Current Events League/Mathematics League: Some of our fifth and sixth graders participate in the National Current Events League. Students take a written test periodically throughout the course of the year. The tests are sent to the National Current Events League/National Mathematics League for tabulation.
• W.E.B. (Wonderfully Exciting Books) Reading Incentive: Students throughout the Cushing School are required to read every day. Some of the reading is accomplished in class but we also look to parents to help us develop life-long readers by reading at home with their child. Teachers are asked to submit names of students who work diligently throughout the year in W.E.B. Reading for our Cushing School Hall of Fame Readers.
• Partners in Reading Program/Senior Volunteer Program: Cushing School invites all volunteers, especially our senior friends, to read to our students. We love having friends of all ages develop a strong and important relationship with one classroom. Reading is a wonderful avenue for this partnership. Volunteering thirty minutes a week to read to a class is a priceless way to spread the love of reading and literacy with our students.
• Partner/Buddy Classes: To give students the opportunity to bond within the school, many Cushing classes are paired with a class in another grade level as a partner or “buddy” class. Younger classes are matched with older classes so that the “big kids” become special friends, role models, and at times tutors for our younger friends.
• Read Across America: On March 2 of each year, Cushing School students join in with students from across the country in “Read Across America Day”. This annual event celebrates the birthday of Dr. Seuss and encourages students and adults alike to read, read, read. Various events take place in classrooms during this celebration.
• Theme Days: At various points during the year, theme days at Cushing School take place. On these days, everyone is invited to participate in the defined theme. Some of our themes have been Hat Day, Slipper Day, and Backwards Day. During the fall celebration of American Education Week, students are asked to participate in the theme days of Dress As your Favorite Storybook Character Day, Dress As Your Future Career Day, and Pride in America Day. The purpose of theme days is to build spirit in our school community.
• Camp Bournedale: Grade 6 students have the opportunity to attend Camp Bournedale in the spring of each academic year. The study of life science takes center stage during this time of year as approximately eleven different classes are run throughout the week. The core curriculum focuses on both fresh water and marine environments, however, other classes are offered as well ranging from adaptation to elementary physics. Class sessions in the morning run from 9:00 – 11:30 a.m. and afternoon classes run from 2:00 – 4:30 p.m. A large group presentation is held each day after lunch from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. There are several smaller blocks of instructional time included in the schedule.