Good morning!

 

A couple of quick reminders to share with you... First, second trimester report cards will be issued to all students at the end of the day tomorrow, Tuesday 3/30.  We had originally planned on getting them out today, but we had a minor snafu with our student management software system.

 

Second, I would like to invite all of you to the Mansfield Healthy Futures Family Fun Night on Monday, April 12 at 6:30 pm in the MHS Auditorium.  Sponsored by the Mansfield Health Advisory Committee and the Hockomock YMCA, the evening will include presentations on the following timely topics:

Games and activities will be provided in the cafeteria for children in grades K-8.  I hope to see you at this worthwhile event.

 

I wish you and your family and Happy Easter and Passover.  Enjoy the week!

 

Dr. Joseph Maruszczak

Principal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On February 24th, 2010, the MHS Young Democrats club (25 students in all) along with their advisor, Ms.Julia Barros, attended a tour of the Massachusetts State House given by State Senator Jim Timility.  The tour started at the model of the State House where students learned about the history behind the construction of the building.  The door located right next to the model is only used for a few occasions; for example, it is used when a governor leaves office. After the students got to look at areas such as the Doric Hall, named for the columns in the building, the Nurses' Hall, where a statue of an army nurse resides, and the Flag Hall where students sought to find Mansfield's flag. The students even got to stand in the Governor's Waiting Room, right outside Governor Deval Patrick's office. Students even got to sit and watch an informal session of the House of Representatives, seeing our state's government in action. 

 

Pictured above is Senator Timilty and students in the State Senate chamber.

Student participants in the Foreign Language Practicum taught their last French or Spanish classes in Jordan-Jackson and Robinson last week.  The reponse from the 2nd and 5th graders and their teachers to their weekly lessons in Spanish or French has been overwhelmingly positive.

Over the second trimester MHS Foreign Language Practicum students prepared lessons and materials, practiced in front of their peers and then taught colors, clothing, food, songs and culture to the elementary school children.  For those children, the lessons were an opportunity to sample a foreign language and, especially, to learn correct pronunciation while their brains are still receptive to the sounds of all languages.  They also got a chance to get to know some terrific role models!

MHS participants agreed that the experience had been worthwhile and satisfying, even eye-opening and fun as well.  For one student it was the deciding factor in her plans to pursue teaching as a career.  "I came into the class unsure if teaching would be the profession I pursued after high school and left with the knowledge that I intend it to be."  Many spoke of their feeling more confident in front of a group, their discovery that they can be flexible and think on their feet, their pride when they realized how much their students had learned over the 12 weeks.  Several also confided that they had never understood how much patience teaching requires, and how much time and effort it takes to plan even a 25 minute lesson.  

We appreciate the teachers at Robinson and J-J who allowed us into their classrooms and gave up class time for our experiment in FLES teaching.  Muchas gracias and merci  beaucoup to Mr. Cohen. Mr. Cote, Mrs. Farinella, Ms. Forget, Ms. Hackett, and Mrs. Slarve.