Dear Tobin Community,
As many of you know, I am retiring from my full-time teaching position in the Cambridge Public Schools. It has been my good fortune to spend almost the entirety of my career here at the Tobin School. I have been a part of and seen many changes take place over the years, most significantly, programs offered to families and students wanting to attend the John M. Tobin School: the Magnet Program, Traditional Program, Follow-Through Program, School of the Future, just "John M. Tobin", and now Tobin Montessori and VLUS. Having taught grades JK through 6, and supported teachers JK through 8 in many of those unique programs, my experiences with students and colleagues have been vast and rich. It has been my pleasure serving the Tobin community of students and families, whether as a teacher, Title One Interventionist or Math Coach. My own four children attended Tobin School, so my list also includes parent volunteer, room parent, and project manager for changes in programs at Tobin. In so many ways, Tobin has been my home.
I want to thank you all for what you do, either directly or indirectly, supporting teachers at Tobin who strive continually to serve your students' educational needs. I have felt that support and appreciate it immensely. As philosopher George Santayana said, “A child educated only at school is an uneducated child.” When both groups are inspired to facilitate learning, children are the winners.
Perhaps, one day, my grandchildren will be lucky in the Cambridge School Choice system, and they will be able to attend Tobin Montessori. Then I will be back around the Tobin hallways as a proud grandparent with the opportunity to continue my Tobin involvement.
In the new 2016-2017 school year, please welcome warmly Eileen Gagnon, the new Tobin Montessori Math Coach. She and I have worked closely together over the past few years, with her initially as my mentor transitioning from interventionist to Math Coach. She is very excited to join the staff here and is thrilled to become fully immersed in serving the Tobin community.
Remember, do what you can to prevent the 'summer math slide', and encourage your family to think mathematically every day.
Monfredo: Beware of the Summer Slide, Loss of Math Skills Are Taking Place
http://bit.ly/MonfredoSummerSlide
“Research shows that more than half of the achievement gap between lower and higher income youths can be explained by unequal access to summer learning opportunities. Many students lose about two months of grade-level equivalency in mathematical computation skills, as well as reading skills, during the summer months."
The Need: Why Summers Matter
http://www.summerlearning.org
Best regards,
Joanne Cleary