Teacher/Specialist Profiles

• Elizabeth Collins
• Leslie Fagen
• Mary Gabriel
• Maggie Gill
• Caryn Glazer
• Helen Greeley
• Deborah Levine
• Kerrilyn McCarthy
• Erin McQuaid
• Jed Miller
• Sally Shuman
• Sandra Sicard
• Norma Steinberg
• Yaping Tang & Jin Yu Chen
• James Varnum
• Tara Washburn
• Jeanne Wilson

Elizabeth Collins, Literacy Specialist, Grades 4-6

I am the Pierce School Literacy Specialist for grades 4-6. As is true with the other specialists profiled, I wear many different hats!

The most important thing I do is support the grades 4-6 classroom teachers to enable them to create and implement the best Language Arts curriculum possible. I meet with teachers to plan instruction and gather materials and resources. Aside from working “behind the scenes,” I teach literacy lessons with classroom teachers. I love this part of my job because it allows me to get to know all of the children and be part of their literacy instruction.

As part of my work with classroom teachers, I participate in whole class lessons and work with small groups for writing and/ or reading. I teach children of all different levels of ability in these groups. Classroom teachers also teach a group, and in this way students are able to learn in smaller groups and have more direct instruction and discussion. I especially enjoy having the unique opportunity to see students grow as readers and writers from fourth grade to sixth grade.

I teach some students in my classroom. These are students who are temporarily having difficulty with some aspect of reading and writing, and need extra instruction. Some of these children work with me because they learn better in a small group setting outside of the classroom, or because they need some extra challenge.

In addition to the above responsibilities, I promote literacy at Pierce School in a variety of ways. For example, I help the librarian develop Pierce’s summer reading list along with other literacy specialists.

Before being a Literacy Specialist, I worked as Head Teacher at Brookline's Lincoln School Extended Day Program while I went to graduate school. I loved being an after school teacher, especially because it gave me a chance to do artwork with the kids and play games. Last year I took a leave to have a baby boy- he is now nine months old and very interested in books!

This is my fourth year at Pierce School and I feel fortunate to be part of this supportive and fun community.

Leslie Fagen, Gifted and Talented Resource Specialist

Many families have a great interest in mathematics and want to do more mathematics at home. Mathematics activies at home can be a wonderful way to promote an enjoyment of mathematics in your child. Mathematics at home should not be limited to drilling math facts or checking answers. It should promote problem solving activites. If you are interested in games and website that will provide fun and interesting mathematical activiites for you to do with your child, continue reading..

GAMES Games are excellent vehicles for developing mathematical ability because they require holding rules and relationships in mind while strategizing. They also help develop social skills, taking turns, sharing, learning how to win and lose and most importantly a sense of humor. Here I have highligted a few of my favorite games for group play.

• SET - this game involves visual perceptual skills and reasoning about attributes and sets.
• XACTIKA- from the makers of SET, an extremely challenging card game the combines visual perceptual skills and estimation skills.
• BLINK - the world's fastest game ! Combines visual perceptual skills and just lots of good old fashion FUN !!
• 24 GAME - the perfect game to develop number sense. The goal is to get 24 using addition, subtraction, multipication and division.

MATH WEBSITES

Figure This - Math challenges for families

This WEBSITE is part of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics WEBSITE. The problems are challenging and open-ended. You and your child will have to think " outside of the box" to solve many of these problems.

AUNTY MATH - This site is managed by the DuPage Children's Museum:

This website post challenges that can be solved and then the solutions can be emailed into the staff.

SET & XACTIKA

This site puts up daily games of SET online with prizes.

Mathforum.com

This site is part of Drexel University, School of Education Elementary and Secondary math site. Fee required, but worth it.

GAME VENDORS

• Eureka in Coolidge Corner
• www.xactika.com
• www.gobblet.com
• otb-games.com
• www.winning-moves.com
• www.compleatgamester.com

GAMES to add to your collection:

• 24 Game
• Backgammon
• Battleship
• Blink
• Block by Block
• Blockus
• Card Games
• Checkers
• Chess
• Coda
• Connect Four
• Continuo
• Cribbage
• Gobblet
• Dominoes
• Guess Who ?
• Hi Q
• Hoppers
• Mancala
• Mastermind
• Othello
• Rack O
• Rummikub
• Rush Hour
• 7 Safari
• SET
• Solitaire
• Square Off
• Stratego
• Uno
• Yahtzee
• Xactika

Some families have a tradiltion of Movie Night, may I suggest alternating with a Game Night. Get Pizza and play a game with the whole family and laugh.

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Mary Gabriel, K-3 Literacy Specialist

The K-3 Literacy Specialist supports reading and writing in the Pierce community in a variety of ways. Some parents only know me as one of the emcees at the Bingo for Books night that Title 1 funds each spring.

I help classroom teachers administer the town-wide reading and writing assessments at the beginning of each year. From these assessments we determine which children would benefit from extra reading and/or writing support. I work with these children in small groups, individually or in their classrooms depending on the children's needs. I also screen any new children who enter Pierce during the year to ascertain their literacy needs.

Aside from providing support to the children, I teach in classrooms. This year I am collaborating with K-2 classroom teachers as they integrate Lucy Calkins' Units of Study across the Curriculum in their Writer's Workshops. I model lessons for new teachers and teach alongside classroom teachers in special projects such as whole class readings of grade specific "benchmark books."

Outside of the Pierce community, I am a professor at Simmons Graduate School during the summer. I attend Massachusetts Reading Association meetings yearly, read widely and take courses regularly to keep abreast of research in the field of literacy.

It is important that the Pierce community be kept up-to-date regarding reading instruction. To that end, I sometimes present in faculty meetings or lead groups of teachers in study groups. Twice a year I host breakfasts for parents and children receiving reading and writing help. After the breakfast, I share ways that parents can support their children's reading and writing at home.

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Maggie Gill, Literacy Specialist

I am Maggie Gill, one of Pierce’s three Literacy Specialists. I have been at Pierce for 20 years, variously called a reading teacher, a reading and writing teacher or a literacy specialist and been paid by grants from the federal government under Chapter One, later called Title One and now by the Town of Brookline. While technically all of these hats have sat on my head at roughly the same angle, there have been many changes over these years in the delivery of special reading services at Pierce. When I first arrived as a part timer in 1987, I had three instructional aides and myself to service approximately 20 middle grade students who were having difficulties in reading. Using a “pull-out” model, life was lots of fun in those days of Title One with plenty of time, materials and personnel to address issues outside the classroom. Gradually, however, the instructional aides were eliminated from the program, a “push-in” model became vogue, and money became tight for materials and personnel. To Brookline’s credit, as federal monies declined, the town took over the funding for teachers, thus preserving the commitment to providing remediation for reading and writing difficulties in grades K – 8. Currently, Pierce has three literacy specialists to cover grades K-8, a luxury compared to some of the other Brookline schools. My job is always a reflection of current need and therefore changes from year to year; this year, I am working with 2 classrooms of 1st graders, a small group of 2nd graders and as a support person in one 7th and one 8th grade English section.

Over the course of my career at Pierce I’ve worked with everyone from 1st to 8th graders, supporting struggling readers at each step of their development. With 1st graders, I work with a Reading Recovery model which allows me to focus on one child at a time. This approach is extremely powerful and allows the specialist to be a coach, diagnostician and remediation guru all at the same time. While time with each child is limited, the intervention level is extremely productive. I have found this approach to be extremely effective with beginning 1st grade readers when combined with a strong classroom based instructional program. With 2nd graders intervention is provided in small groups, again using the concept of “double-dosing” which provides additional, focused instruction to augment the classroom based program. Research has clearly shown that children who are experiencing difficulty in learning to read need additional time and instruction, not simply different instruction, in order to catch up with their peers. I am also a near fanatic on the need for all children in grades 1-8 to be reading independently as much as possible.

This is my last year at Pierce and leaving is difficult. I have really enjoyed being a part of the Pierce community and seeing my little 1st graders blossom into competent and confident 8th graders. I’ve even seen a few generational turnovers! I know that Pierce is doing things right in terms of literacy and that the commitment to provide a high quality learning experience has never been stronger. Thank you for making these 20 years so rewarding.

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Caryn Glazer, Adapted Physical Education

I am Caryn Glazer, the adapted physical education teacher for Pierce School. I work with students who have difficulty with their gross motor skills. Specifically, I assist students with their fundamental motor skills, perceptual motor function, patterns related to skills, and physical fitness. I work in a variety of settings--sometimes in the physical education class or in a small group of students or individually in the small gym (downstairs from the main gym). The instruction merges the student’s individual needs with the physical education curriculum.

Students are usually referred to me through the PSS team. I then observe the student in his/her physical education class and consult with other staff members. Once the initial screening is completed (watching the child perform locomotors skills, balance tasks and coordination skills), a full evaluation may be necessary. If services are needed, I develop an Individual Education Plan. The IEP sets specific goals and objectives and describes the service type (in class or out of class) and time (1 or 2 times per week). The IEP is approved by the family before it is implemented.

I work closely with the PSS (Pupil Service Support) team and regularly check in with my students’ teachers, especially with Sheila Leach and Michael Miceli, Pierce's physical education teachers. This collaboration ensures consistency in teaching as well as reinforcement of physical skills being taught.

Pierce is one of four schools that I work at this year, and I have taught at Pierce for the past four years. I have been working with children with varying disabilities for many years and truly love what I do. It keeps me young and active!

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Helen Greeley, Upper Learning Center Teacher

I would like to introduce myself as the Upper Learning Center Teacher for the intermediate grades at Pierce School. Although I am a new teacher to Pierce, I am at “home” in Brookline. As an alumna of Brookline High School, I continued my education at the University of Massachusetts/Amherst and Boston University, which then lead me to a graduate internship at the Baker School. From first hand experience as an educator and student in Brookline, I know the unique educational experiences this district has to offer. I am thrilled to have returned to a place I consider home, and am especially excited about my involvement in the Pierce community.

Before returning to Brookline, I taught for five years at the Wilson Middle School, in Natick. As a 5th grade Learning Center Teacher and Chairperson, I played an active role in the classroom setting as well as the special education evaluation process. Previous to Wilson, I taught at the Hardy Elementary School, in Arlington, where I was a Special Education teacher for a district-wide, language-based classroom. I have found that these valuable teaching experiences were key in preparing me for my new position at Pierce.

As I am new to many, you may not know of my special interest in the Arts and Poetry. For various summers, I worked at an arts camp on Martha’s Vineyard where these passions began to develop. There I assisted designing and directing weekly dramatic productions that were based on children’s literature. Since then I have strived to incorporate this growing interest in drama and the arts, into my teaching practices.

Most recently, I had the opportunity to be the Costume Director for the productions of Once On This Island and The Music Man, while working in Natick. After attending Boston University’s Summer Poetry Institute, I also lead our school’s version of a Favorite Poetry Project for which an iMovie was created documenting students reading their favorite poems. In the future, I believe that my varied experiences and interests will make a beneficial contribution to my teaching role as well as my involvement in the Pierce community.

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Deborah Levine, English Language Learner Teacher

I would like to introduce myself as Deborah Levine, the Pierce ELL teacher. Originally from New York, I have lived in Brookline for many years and I recently changed careers and became a teacher two years ago. I had worked for many years in the hospitality and hotel industry, and I bring much experience from the business world into the classroom. While working in hospitality, I spent a lot of time training, teaching, and managing people who were learning English, and gradually realized that it was this part of the job that I really enjoyed. I went back to school at the University of Massachusetts/Boston and earned a masters degree in Applied Linguistics and ESL. I did my student teaching at the Baker School in Brookline, and was fortunate to begin working as the ELL teacher at the Devotion school in Brookline when I finished. I came to Pierce in September, and am very excited to be here.

The ELL program at Pierce School serves children in Kindergarten through 8th grade who are English Language Learners, or children who are learning English as second or sometimes third language. Pierce also is home to the Chinese ELL program, which serves ELL students whose first language is Chinese. My students in the ELL program come from many different countries and speak languages such as Greek, Russian, Hindi, Telegu, Korean, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, and Spanish.

Having such a diverse mix of cultural and linguistic backgrounds makes for an exciting classroom, and children are often curious about their classmate’s culture and language. They often learn key phrases in each other’s languages, and take great pride in being able to greet each other in their native tongue!

In class, we work on learning English in all four domains - speaking, listening, reading and writing. In the upper grades, I teach content ESL, which is teaching English through grade-level content. For example, in 5th grade, we study verb tenses, vocabulary, and transition words through the history of Ancient Egypt. We read and respond to historical fiction books that take place during this time period. This type of instruction allows the student to participate more fully in the grade-level classroom, keeps their interest level high, and engages them in the 5th grade curriculum while learning English.

I also support the grade-level teachers in the work that they do with our students by modifying assignments, suggesting alternate materials, previewing and reviewing difficult material and making the class more accessible for our ELL students. I am able to give them additional time they might need on exams or projects, and the confidence they gain from a job well done is marvelous to see.

My classroom is a place where ELL students can relax a bit, speak freely without fear of embarrassment, and ask all the questions they need to ask in order to be successful students. I also assist the parents in getting materials they need and are not sure who to ask, such as information on summer camps, after school programs, enrichment programs, scheduling playdates, etc.

I have found Pierce School to be a supportive and caring community of teachers, students, parents and administrators, and I am glad to be a part of it!

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Kerrilyn McCarthy, Upper Learning Center Teacher

This year, I am the upper learning center teacher for grades seven and eight. I am also teaching two substantially separate math classes for students who are part of the district wide Language Learning Disabilities (LLD) and Learning Lab Programs. This is my fourth year teaching at Pierce. For the last three years I have worked in the Learning Lab Program grades 4-6. I have had the great opportunity this year of following my learning lab students to seventh grade and also reconnecting with my former students who are currently in eighth grade. It was a perfect transition time for all, as Stephanie Aldworth, the former upper learning center teacher, has taken a full-year maternity leave.

I began at Pierce five years ago as Teri Hauserman’s intern, while obtaining my M.S. in Education at Simmons College. At Pierce I have had the great experience of working with a variety of curriculum, grade levels, and staff. As the Learning Lab (LL) teacher, I was responsible for students in grades 4-6, who needed specialized instruction in language arts and mathematics. My students were mainstreamed for science, social studies, and all specials. Some of my responsibilities included co-teaching with general education staff, pre-teaching concepts taught and re-teaching to check for understanding.

As my students moved up through the grades, it was difficult to follow them and continue to work with my current learning lab, so last year I added the role of learning center teacher for grade six to my caseload. My job this year has changed from teaching language arts and math to only teaching math. In addition, I am an advisor for a group of seventh graders and I teach two academic support classes and a skills class daily. Academic support and skills classes are a place where students work to improve their academic skills within the general education curriculum to achieve their individualized goals. This can be achieved through some the following:

• Specialized/explicit instruction
• Multi-modal presentation (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) of material
• Small group instruction
• Previewing/reviewing of concepts
• Fluency practice
• Organization of long-term projects
• Mini-lessons to practice skills

I work closely with classroom teachers to support our students by providing them with accommodations and/or suggestions for how to best reach the needs of our students. I consult with them about student’s abilities to access the curriculum. I am also a part of the special education pupil support services team that identifies and assesses students at risk, then develops and implements an Individualized Educational Plan, if necessary.

It is wonderful to work at Pierce, where I have had the opportunity to work closely with such a supportive staff.

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Erin McQuaid, K-8 Occupational Therapist

Hello! My name is Erin McQuaid. I am the occupational therapist at the Pierce School. I work here part time (a little more than 2 days a week) and also at Brookline High School part time. My responsibilities at the two schools are vastly different. This article will focus only on my work here at Pierce.

Although I am a part of the special education team, I often work with teachers and children having varying needs that may not fall under the special education "umbrella". For example, at the beginning of each school year, I go into several classrooms to discuss the importance of proper posture and proper body mechanics. I often adjust the children's chairs and/or desks to be sure that they are at the optimal height for completing tabletop work. I also look at how the children hold their pencils and maybe give a gripper, as needed, to promote the proper pencil grasp.

In terms of my work as part of the special education team, initially I work with teachers in the pre-referral process, when a child is brought to my attention by the teacher, guidance counselor, or other special education team member. At that point, I go into the class to see how the child is functioning within the classroom and informally assess what the child may be having difficulty with related to his or her fine motor skills, posture, the physical act of handwriting, etc. I then give strategies that the teacher may be able to implement without further assessment on my part. Simple suggestions for working at home may also be given at that time. The child is then monitored by the teacher and if concerns continue, the child may be referred for formal occupational therapy testing.

I complete all formal occupational therapy evaluations at Pierce as well. Through testing, a determination is made about whether or not a child requires direct occupational therapy intervention, intervention through regular consultation with the teacher or whether a child would benefit from more specific accommodations in class or work at home. If the child needs direct occupational therapy services, I provide those services in many ways depending on each child's specific needs. In some instances, especially in the younger grades, I may teach an entire class lesson focusing on particular children within the class. I also work with children, who may require more intense intervention, outside of the class in small groups.

Trying to fit all of this in within two and a half days can be challenging but I love working with the parents, teachers and children in the Pierce Community.

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Jed Miller, Primary Language-based Learning Disabilities System-wide Program Teacher

I am Jed Miller, the Primary LLD System Wide Program teacher at the Pierce School. Although this is my first year at the Pierce School, I am not new to Brookline. I grew up in Brookline and over the last ten years I have worked in Brookline at the Lawrence School and the Devotion School. Starting in the 2004-05 school year, I spent two years as a K-5 Learning Center teacher in the Westwood Public Schools, primarily working with students with Language Based Learning Disabilities. Now, I am very happy to be back in Brookline.

Here is a little more background information on me: I spent three years at WPI majoring in Mechanical Engineering (with a biomedical materials engineering focus) before deciding that I did not want to pursue engineering as a career. After a much-extended College experience, I ended up with a B.A. in Theatre Arts/Elementary Ed. from Wheelock College, a M.Ed. in Moderate Disabilities PreK-8 from Lesley University, dual certification (in both Elementary Ed. 1-6 and Moderate Special Needs PreK-8), and a continued thirst to make a difference in the lives of children.

Here at Pierce, I currently work with second and third grade students in my substantially separate Language Based Learning Disabilities (LLD) classroom (although my program is available to support students in the first through third grades). The LLD program is a specialized program where students with language based disabilities, who require more support than a learning center can provide, receive highly specialized, focused instruction in reading, writing, and math. The LLD program is a system-wide program, which means students may get referred to the LLD program from any of the elementary schools in Brookline.

The work that my wonderful paraprofessionals and I do with the students in my classroom is focused on specific individual needs in the areas of reading, writing, and math. Through ongoing collaboration with the second and third grade regular education teachers, my students receive support and modification of curriculum in the areas of science and social studies.

The instruction that I provide for my students incorporates a lot of preview and review of content concepts, multi-sensory instruction and practice in literacy and math, and work with mnemonic story devices for retention of basic concepts and skills. As every student has their own learning profile with areas of strength and areas of need, I focus instruction with each student to maximize the use of strengths and support the areas of need. This support consists both of focused drill and practice and specific self-help strategies that each student can use to further support areas of difficulty.

It is also very important to provide a safe learning environment (through focused structure, positive reinforcement, and nurturing) to foster the emotional, social, and behavioral growth of my students as these areas are often impacted by the learning difficulties my students face.

It is a pleasure to be back in Brookline. It is especially exciting for me to be here at the Pierce School, with the wonderful openness of the staff, community, and the architecture. I hope to be here a long time...

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Sally Shuman, K-4 Learning Center Specialist

I am Sally Shuman the K-4 Learning Center Specialist. I am part of the special education team here at Pierce School. My responsibilities begin with the pre-referrel process. When a teacher presents a concern to the pupil support team I may be assigned to go into that classroom and check in on a particular child. I start with observations and talking with the teacher. Often I may have ideas, strategies and specific materials that can be provided to the classroom teacher that will enable this child to meet with more success.

Once a formal referral for testing has been made, it is my responsibility to complete the academic and performance assessments, make a determination whether a child has a specific learning disability and then share results with the special education team who decides what particular services would best meet the needs of this student. As part of the team, we meet with the parent to report our findings and together we all draw up an Educational Plan. (IEP).

The next part of my job is the fun part. I get to provide one on one, small group and sometimes whole class instruction. I work with children in Kindergarten, first, second, third and fourth grades. I run the gamut from teaching early readiness skills to beginning sound/symbol relationships, reading, math, written language, spelling, following directions, listening skills, visual processing skills and social skills. My learning center is located right off of the pit and children move in and out of my room for specific help depending on their individual IEP's. Often you will find me in the classroom team teaching or working with small groups.

As most of you know, I love being involved with all sorts of special activities at Pierce School. You will find me as the auctioneer for the children's portion of the School's Auction, and last year I did a round for the adults. My husband, Barry Shuman is an English Teacher at Brookline High School and many of your older children have moved from having me at Pierce to being in his classes at the High School. My children, Seth 25 and Alyssa 21 have subbed at Pierce while on break from school and are frequent volunteers when we do special projects.

Pierce is a wonderful community and I am a proud member.

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Sandra Sicard, Educational Technology Specialist, sandra_sicard@brookline.k12.ma.us

As the Educational Technology Specialist at Pierce School, I support the use of technology in the curriculum for K-8 students and teachers. This is my first year at Pierce after serving as the district technology director for four years; I am happy to be working directly with students and teachers in this wonderful learning community.

I work individually with staff, supporting and coaching them in their use of technology. I also co-teach with classroom teachers when they bring students into the lab and when they use laptop carts; we collaborate to integrate curricula and educational technology. Additionally, I create learning resources for students, such as identifying appropriate Web sites for research. Finally, I provide technical support and maintain user accounts on our network server. I believe that all students need to have equitable access to technology. To help work toward that goal, students in grades 4-8 may use the computer lab to complete homework in the mornings before school from 7:35 am – 7:55 am and Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons from 2:00 pm – 2:30 pm.

Outside of the Pierce community, I regularly take courses to improve and update my skills and knowledge in the educational technology field. I have also taught graduate courses through Framingham State College for Brookline teachers. I attend a technology conference yearly and read a variety of journals to keep abreast in my field. I share this information with Pierce in my weekly technical updates.

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Norma Steinberg, 7th and 8th Grade Language Based Learning Disability Program

I am Norma Steinberg and I work with students who have language based learning disabilities in seventh and eighth grade. I teach English and learning skills classes, which offer specialized instruction to small groups. I also support and work with all the academic teachers in these grades. In my eleven years at Pierce I have spent time in science, math, and social studies classes working directly with students and teachers.

My work with mainstream teachers involves modifying assignments and tests so that they are accessible to students whose language processing difficulties might require rephrasing of questions, a word bank, or additional information. I work with teachers to design alternative and/or additional methods of presenting information so that it will be accessible to all students.

Another aspect of my job is to help my students understand the nature of their learning disability and ways to compensate. Students learn that they have as much ability as their peers but process information differently and will need to learn methods to overcome this difference. This can be empowering to students at this age who have traditionally struggled in elementary school and often feel as though they’re not as smart.

This year I am presenting a unit on learning disabilities to all the seventh and eighth graders. Occasionally derogatory names have been directed at students in learning centers and I believe that the more their peers know about the specific nature of learning disabilities, the less those words will be tossed about. All seventh and eighth grade students have learned or will learn the causes, descriptions, and the difficulties that result from various types of learning disabilities. They learned that approximately 15%of the population has a learning disability and while it won't disappear, the challenges it creates can be dealt with.

We have done simulations of the problems students with dysgraphia, organization/ sequencing, and decoding problems are likely to experience. These exercises really opened the eyes of some who thought learning disability was a vague term used to describe peers who just weren’t that bright. Now, I hope that more seventh and eighth graders understand why a peer might be given (or, be allowed or even more simply, have) extra time on a test or have a modified reading for a class. We had interesting discussions about the idea that fair doesn’t always mean equal.

When I changed my teaching specialty from art to special education, I made the fortunate decision to do a two-year internship in Brookline and had the good luck to work with Teri Hauserman here at Pierce for one of those years. I consider myself lucky to continue to learn from all my bright, dedicated peers in this wonderful community.

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Yaping Tang & Jin Yu Chen, Chinese ELL

As Chinese ELL teachers at Pierce School, we provide instructional support to students (K-8) whose primary language is Chinese and who are not yet proficient in English. The Chinese ELL program is designed to meet the educational needs of English language learners by including English language development and specially designed academic support.

Both of us do the language screening for all the Chinese-speaking students who are new to Brookline before and during the school year. They are from different places in Brookline. Those who live outside the Pierce district but qualify for the Chinese ELL program can attend Pierce School. They also get free transportation to and from school if they need it. Most of our students speak Mandarin, while some speak Cantonese and Toisanese (two kinds of dialects).

We work with our students in small groups in our Chinese ELL classroom and/or help them in their regular classrooms. We help them to acquire basic skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing using differentiated instructional strategies and technology. We support limited English speaking students in their academic studies, and help them make a smooth transition, both academically and socially.

We work closely with our students’ classroom teachers to ensure the coordination between our program and the expectations of the regular academic curriculum. We try our best to support classroom teachers in all areas concerning Chinese ELL students. We also enter the regular classroom to work with our students, helping them understand what is going on in class and do their assignments.

During conferences, we provide translation service for the teachers and Chinese-speaking parents. Often, we even translate for parents whose child is not in our Chinese ELL program. Our day is quite busy as we might be called to translate for someone even when we are teaching a group of students.

Our classroom is on the second floor of the library, above the science classroom. On the second floor outside the library, you can see a bulletin board for our program. We display our students’ work or projects periodically to demonstrate what our students are learning and what they have accomplished. Most of them work very hard to improve their English.

In previous years, we had helped the Chinese parents organize the Chinese food sale at the annual Pierce auction. Because many of our students go back to their native country after a year, we have to inform the new parents about the tradition of selling Chinese food during the auction and help them organize it.

We are the organizers of the Chinese New Year Celebrations. We teach students Chinese songs, Chinese dances and others, so they can perform at the assemblies. This year’s Chinese New Year’s Day is February 18th and we will have our celebration assemblies on the 28th.

We enjoyed working with the Chinese ELL students. We are also very happy to be part of the Pierce community where people respect and enjoy learning about other cultures.

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James Varnum, K-4 Speech-Language Pathologist

I have been the Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) at Pierce for the last 18 years. I provide services from kindergarten through fourth grade. I also provide services for the three town-wide Language-Learning Disorders (LLD) classrooms, which are located at Pierce. The best part of my job is the opportunity to see children grow in communication and academic skills as they progress through Pierce.

Here is some background information on me: I received my M.S. in Communication Disorders from Emerson College, and I hold an M.Ed. from the University of New Hampshire because I was a third grade teacher in New Hampshire for eight years before becoming an SLP. As an SLP in the Brookline Public Schools, I am required to have a Masters degree in communication disorders, hold a Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA), and have a state SLP license and a MA Department of Education license in order to provide services.

At Pierce, I work with students who have communication problems that affect success in classroom activities, social interactions, literacy and learning. Good communication skills lead to success in speaking, thinking, and reading, writing and learning. Children with disabilities in language, voice, stuttering, articulation and swallowing are typically found on an SLP’s caseload. I work predominantly with students who have disabilities in language. These might include: 1.) slow development of vocabulary, concepts or grammar: 2.) the inability to use different communication styles for different situations; and 3.) weaknesses in social development, understanding/expressing ideas, learning, reading and writing. In addition, at the primary grade level, I work informally with children who have speech issues such as articulation problems (substituting, omitting or distorting speech sounds); voice problems (harsh, hoarse, breathy voice, speech that is too high, low or monotonous, or interrupted by breaks); and fluency problems (interruption in the flow or rhythm of speech, hesitation, repetitions and prolongations that affect speaking). As well, I work with children with hearing impairments. Students are seen individually, in small groups and in whole class settings. I love co-teaching with the student’s regular teachers to enhance communication skills through various activities in the student’s own classroom.

In the primary LLD classroom (1st, 2nd, 3rd grades) I co-teach lessons with Lynne Galili, that address language disabilities and literacy. Teri Hauserman and I co-teach the 4th, 5th and 6th graders in the intermediate LLD class, providing strategies for increasing the understanding and expression of ideas for both academic tasks and social communication. In my work with Norma Steinberg in the 7th and 8th class, the focus shifts toward text-based learning and strategies to comprehend complex readings, test-taking strategies, and organizational skills.

I work closely with classroom teachers providing language based ideas and materials. I consult with them about students’ abilities to access the curriculum. I collaborate with my other “specialist” colleagues like the learning center staff and literacy teachers in planning and sharing ideas about the best practices in our work with students. I am part of the special education pupil support services team that identifies and assesses students at risk then develops and implements an Individual Education Plan, if required.

I supervise undergraduate and graduate students from Emerson College and graduate students from Boston University. Several of my graduate students have become Brookline Public School SLP’s and I have supervised their clinical fellowships as they earned Certificates of Clinical Competence.

Monthly, I meet with the Brookline Public Schools SLP’s to discuss cases and various articles/topics using an Evidence Based Practice model for analysis and discussion.

I attend workshops, seminars and courses on school-based language-learning topics that improve my skills and keep me up to date.

The Pierce School community is wonderful and I am glad to be part of it. Each day that I work with your children is a rewarding adventure.

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Kim Williams, Math Specialist

I am Kim Williams, a math specialist at both Pierce and Devotion Schools. I teach at Pierce three days a week and work with students in grades 1-5. The focus of my instruction is to support both students and teachers using the current Investigations Math Curriculum. I work with small groups of students in the classroom or take small groups or individual students out of the classroom setting to provide more individual support. I also provide assessment of students’ math skills in a more formal way using some of the testing tools used by math specialists throughout the town.

This past summer I participated in a Kathy Richardson Math workshop. This workshop was designed to help classroom teachers and specialists more accurately identify the "essential steps that children move through when developing an understanding of foundational mathematical ideas." The assessments help teachers collect data "to determine precisely what children need to learn."

I returned to Pierce after being away from elementary school teaching for seven years. I began my teaching career at Pierce in 1986 as a student teacher. I taught third grade at the Lincoln School for three years, and then at Pierce for seven years. While teaching third grade I was a participant in the Teachers as Researchers group. This group of Brookline teachers looked at our classroom practice through the lens of a researcher. Through this type of inquiry questioning and research, the group directly affected our classroom practice. As a group we presented at conferences about our research and its effect on our teaching. An excerpt from a paper I wrote about my research appeared in the Brookline Public Schools magazine, Reflections.

My interest in math developed from this research group. I spent most of my research time looking at how students talked about math, their thinking, and how they represented their knowledge. I was one of the teachers who volunteered to pilot the then new math curriculum known as Investigations. In my new role as math specialist, I will be one member of the town-wide math curriculum program selection committee. The committee is charged with reviewing several of the commercial math programs available to school systems throughout the country and making recommendations as to which programs we believe best align with the math frameworks already in place in the Brookline Public Schools as well as the state frameworks.

These are exciting times in the area of math—times of great change and tremendous possibilities! I very feel lucky to be in such a wonderful and supportive school system and especially grateful to be back at Pierce School.

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Tara Washburn, Math Specialist, Grades 1-3

I joined the Pierce community in September 2006 as a part-time math specialist (and as a parent!). At Pierce I work with first, second and fifth grades on Tuesdays and Thursdays supporting students and teachers in their understanding and instruction of math. During the remainder of the week, I work next door in the Sperber Education Center with the K-8 Math Curriculum Coordinator, as the Town-Wide Math Specialist. In this role, I support all of Brookline’s math specialists at the eight elementary schools and participate in the Math department’s Program Review initiatives with a focus on assessment, revising the Learning Expectations, and reviewing instructional materials.

At Pierce, I spend the majority of my time in classrooms: modeling lessons, co-teaching with teachers, supporting individual students, and teaching small groups. In addition, I also assess students’ math skills, hold conferences with parents, plan lessons with teachers, share materials, and support small groups of students outside the classroom in order to provide them with extra, differentiated math support. In my short time at Pierce, I’ve been impressed by the level of commitment from both teachers and parents. The teachers are collaborative learners, eager to grow professionally.

Prior to arriving at Pierce, I taught third grade for seven years in a diverse range of school settings – an urban school in Baltimore City, a suburban school in Baltimore County, and an elite private school in New York City – before working as a math coach in Baltimore County. After moving to Brookline three years ago, I supervised elementary education students through Simmons College and Boston College, and then began my current work in Brookline’s Math Department.

As a parent, I couldn’t be happier with Pierce! One of the reasons my family and I chose to live in Brookline was because of the excellent reputation of its public schools, and everything about the quality of education I see delivered at Pierce suggests that that reputation is well deserved. Pierce is an exceptional place, and I’m proud to be a member of such a unique, diverse, active community!

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Jeanne G Wilson, Math Specialist, Grades 3-6

In my six years as the Title 1 Math Specialist, my role has had many and varied responsibilities. First and foremost, I work with third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students either in small groups in the Math Center, in mathematics classes or both.

Many of these students are lacking in math confidence, and in the basic foundation they need to succeed in their classes. When I work with my students, I endeavor to review basic concepts and skills, as well as math vocabulary. I also reinforce what is being taught in math class, and break down the problems into more manageable parts. Students learn to use different strategies to solve them. We work on “story problems” by figuring out what the numbers mean and what is being asked to solve, as well as looking for clue words for what operation is needed. All of this, with the use of manipulatives, math games and occasionally computer software, often leads to a greater understanding of concepts. Many students “graduate” from the Math Center and are a source of great pride and satisfaction to me.

Secondly, another aspect of my role is as chairperson of the Mathematics Committee. Since its inception in 1999, I have had the privilege of working with a great team of ten classroom teachers who really care about math, and act as math leaders/ representatives at each grade level. Initially during our first few years, we met monthly for about two hours to brainstorm ways to bring math alive at Pierce, and to recommend ways to fill in the gaps in the curriculum. Now that our “Math Initiative” is ongoing, we meet about every other month. Some of the math traditions we have established are: math focus faculty meetings, the Summer Math Program, math awards presented twice a year at assemblies, the New England Math League Contests in grades 4-8, the After School Math Tutoring Program, Math Field Trips, the Pi Day celebration on March 14th(3-14) and the Math Word Wall.

I would like to elaborate on the After School Math Tutoring Program, which I instituted when I first started, and it is in its 6th year and going stronger than ever! It is primarily for students in grades 3-6, and currently consists of 30 Pierce students and 22 dedicated high school tutors who willingly volunteer their energies to help our kids in math. These young adults give up their free time to act as role models, math buddies, and tutors as part of their community service commitment. Some students volunteer 2 or 3 years in a row, and are very committed to the program by the time they graduate. They meet weekly in the cafeteria every Wednesday from 4:00- 5:00 P.M. because of their busy schedules, and it is very edifying to me when I watch them working so hard and keeping our young students so engaged in math at that late hour. Many teachers and parents have commented that this program became a turning point for some children who needed an attitude change as well as improvement in their math confidence and skills.

Another fun collaboration for me has been the Math Field trips I helped organize between Pierce and our neighbor, Lawrence School. Many of our 4th, 5th and 6th grade students over the past couple of years have hosted their Lawrence peers or vice versa to learn to play math games together. They learn the rules and familiarize themselves with many stimulating games from the resource center there. After this social and learning experience, I have our Pierce students fill in a survey on which games they liked best and why. After analyzing the results, I order the games, and in some cases math software, for their classrooms or for the Math Center here. It has been a very enjoyable and beneficial sharing of ideas and materials.

As far as my interests outside of school, many of you know that I am a member of Sharing a New Song, an adult chorus whose goal is to overcome cultural and political barriers through music. Over the years we have performed with the black community at St. John’s Church in Roxbury as well as the Vietnamese community in the South End. Two summers ago I had the enriching experience of traveling for 3 weeks in South Africa and singing at schools, churches and universities, as well as at an AIDS hospital there. It was an incredibly powerful and unforgettable experience, which carried over to our 8th grade Student Council doing the Spare Change for Aids in Africa Drive.

Becoming the Mathematics Specialist has been a very rewarding and exciting position for me professionally and personally. I am so pleased to be able to continue to serve this wonderful school community in such meaningful ways!