N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 8 | Vo l u m e 1 , n u m b e r 1

T HE O FFICIAL P UBLICATION OF THE M ARBLEHEAD C OMMUNITY C HARTER P UBLIC S CHOOL

MCCPS Teacher
Induction and
Mentoring Program
BY DR. ARGENZIANO AND NINA CULLEN-HAMZEH

O
ne of the most significant factors in
attracting and retaining new teach-
ers is the quality of a school’s men- Preparing for Exhibition are:
(upper left) 4th grader, Alix;
toring and induction program. The current,
(upper middle) 5th graders Fiachra
enlightened approach to mentoring recog- and Nick; (Upper right) 4th graders,
nizes that new teachers are rarely prepared Margaret and Alanna; and
for the demanding job of teaching in con- (lower left) 8th grader, Forrest.
temporary schools. Over the next four years
in Massachusetts, of the 74,000 educators
currently employed, it is estimated that
16,650 will retire. Colleges and universities
are graduating 5,000 licensed educators
annually. Given these facts, the importance
of establishing a well-developed mentoring
and induction program as a continuation of
educator training cannot be understated.
At MCCPS we understand that it is criti-
What Is Exhibition?
BY KATHY CORMIER imperative to understanding the authentic assessment and an alterna-
cally important that all new teachers receive world, require serious thought and tive to a traditional final exam.

E
ach trimester at MCCPS cul-
the support, advice, and direction necessary
minates in a public exhibition
to make their first year successful and mean-
of student work that inte-
ingful. The faculty and staff invests great
grates important skills and content
energy in collectively supporting them,
from academic disciplines while
because we are determined that all new
addressing relevant global themes. It
teachers will be given every opportunity to
is a wonderful evening where par-
succeed. Approximately seven hours each
ents and community members fill
week is dedicated to professional develop-
every nook and cranny of the school
ment for all teachers, and new employees
to see student projects, performanc-
experience even more. There are uniform
es, and artwork.
factors within the induction and mentoring
The global themes are organized
program, but it is also vitally important that
around “essential questions” that are
See Mentoring, page 3
investigation, and generate further While students acquire knowledge
questions. The theme of this year’s through lessons, exhibitions provide
first exhibition is Communication. a means for a “real world” applica-
tion of that knowledge. And, while
Students will understand different
standardized tests endeavor to meas-
ways, forms, and means of commu-
ure how well a school is serving its
nication and how to communicate
students—showing a “slice” of what
effectively.
students have learned—exhibitions
Exhibition is much more than a
offer up the whole pie, providing a
great night out. It is a presentation
360º look at what students know
that students make to family, peers,
and what they can do. Ted Sizer,
and community members to
educator and a leading educational
demonstrate what they know and
what they have learned. This is an
See Exhibition, page 4

2 Learning 4 What Does Meet Mrs.

5
Goes Student Mello, Our
Outdoors Council Do? New 5th
Grade Teacher

“Long hair, corn rows, purple stripes, who cares?” — Ms. Cullen-Hamzeh on self-expression, page 4.
MAGNA CH RTER
Outdoor Classroom:A Breath
Volume 1,Number 1,November 2008 of Fresh Air
BY KATHY CORMIER there for the taking. Facilities Manager Bob Erbetta
Magna Charter Staff climbed aboard a Bobcat and that was that. More work
& Contributors
Dr. Albert Argenziano
S tudents referred to the vacant overgrown lot behind
our school as “the jungle.” That is no longer the
case, as the creation of the MCCPS outdoor classroom
was done by a group of parents who dug, raked, and
weeded on Columbus Day. Sue was able to procure a
Jeff Barry donation of 3 yards of mulch from Northeast Nursery
is underway.
Kathleen Cormier and the Town of Marblehead.
The idea of an outdoor quiet space for students to
Nina Cullen-Hamzeh The plans for the outdoor classroom are big. The
Emil Ronchi read, study, and contemplate nature was a long-held
area will eventually include tables and benches, a per-
Mike Ruth dream of our school. Last year, the grant committee
formance space (think “poetry café”), a butterfly gar-
Laura Smith applied for funding for the project from a variety of
den, and a science area. The possibilities are limitless
Nancy Marland Wolinski sources. They were lucky to get some short money
as we continue to seek funds and donations in order
from a grant from Home Depot but otherwise came up
MCCPS Board of Trustees to continue the evolution of this dream.
empty handed. No one wanted to sponsor the
Emil Ronchi, Chair Thanks to all who have been so helpful thus far and
“unglamorous” first steps of the project—clearing the
Cathy Vaucher, Vice Chair to all who will help in the future!
land of rocks and debris with heavy
Dr. John Sullivan, Treasurer
John McEnaney, Clerk machinery, hauling in and spreading
Nina Cullen-Hamzeh soil, weeding, etc. Yet, we couldn’t
Cynthia Canavan move forward until this step was com-
Matt Cronin pleted.
Chris Fauci Parent Sue Ballou, an avid gardener
Kay O'Dwyer and volunteer at the school, pushed
Bob Sousa the project forward. Sue runs a garden-
MCCPS School Staff ing enrichment on Monday afternoons.
Dr. Albert Argenziano Her students’ enthusiasm helped get
Interim Managing Director the project moving.
Nina Cullen-Hamzeh The stars aligned when a large
Interim Academic Director amount of “free” soil appeared across
Eileen Perry the street from the school. The Town
Assistant to the Directors of Marblehead is in the midst of con-
Molly Wolverton structing a hockey rink, and the soil was You don’t need to have a green thumb to help out.
Student Services Coordinator
Jed O'Connor Nutrition News Nurse News
Director of Special Education
Jeffrey Barry Our new Nutrition Director, Laura The cold weather is here! School
Business Manager
DeSantis, has been busy planning Nurse, Kellie Keenan, is looking
menus, cooking, teaching a cook- for donations of any outgrown or
Our Mission ing enrichment, and getting to extra sweatpants and socks for
MCCPS fosters a community that empowers know our students. With a our backup supply. Remember
children to become capable, self-determining, fully degree in culinary arts from that students will be outside
engaged individuals who are critical and creative Johnson and Wales, Chef Laura once or twice during the day, so
thinkers committed to achieving their highest
has worked as a banquet and please remind them to bring
intellectual, artistic, social, emotional, and physical
pastry chef. She also has done warm clothes including coats,
potential. We are dedicated to involving, learning
from, participating in, and serving our school catering for professional sports hats, and gloves.
community and the community at large. teams including the Celtics. Chef As the holidays are coming,
Laura is enjoying her work at this is a reminder that our
MCCPS. “Our students are the MCCPS community includes stu-
Magna Charter is the official newsletter
most honest customers I’ve ever dents and staff members with
of MCCPS. It is published bi-monthly.
encountered — and they love life threatening food allergies
MCCPS pasta,” she says while chuckling. and that our community pro-
17 Lime Street The most rewarding part of her motes healthy, nutritious eating.
Marblehead, MA 01945 job is exposing students to new Lastly, flu season is upon us.
Phone: 781-631-0777 foods. Welcome to MCCPS, Chef Please be sure to get plenty of
Fax: 781-631-0500 Laura! Chef Laura DeSantis rest and wash your hands often.
www.marbleheadcharter.org

2 W H AT ’ S N EW ( S ) AT M CC PS — N OV E M B E R 2 0 0 8
Meet the Teacher:Sallie Mello
Brings Her Wit to MCCPS
BY LAURA SMITH
A long with a really cool name for a teacher, Sallie
Mello brings a genteel charm to MCCPS. The
Mississippi native is known in her 5th-grade class-
room for Southern sayings such as ‘sit down on your
derriere.’ “I said that one time,” she revealed, “and the
child wanted to know what a derriere was!”
A Gamma Beta Phi honor student in high school
and college, Ms. Mello always had a way of verbaliz-
ing math problems. She spends a lot of time talking
to the 5th graders about how to work math problems
such as long division with decimals. “I’m not a strong
believer in textbook definitions, because they’re writ-
ten by college professors,” she says. “I try to find the
words that a fifth-grader can take notes on and
understand. My favorite teaching moment—if there
is only one—is when they go from ‘I don’t under-
stand’ to ‘I got it.’”
The youngest of seven children, Ms. Mello
describes her upbringing as more akin to rural Maine
than Boston’s North Shore, a place where “life is a
struggle.” Now blessed with three daughters (and
two 5th-grade classes), she struggles with the hectic
schedule of a working parent. Each weekday morn-
ing at 6:50, she brings Shea, age 9, and Kaycie 6, to
their grandparents’ house in Peabody, and Sarah, 2,
to daycare. She leaves school at 3:30 for the back-
wards pickup, except on Wednesdays, when teachers
Sports News
Thanks to the dedication of
Athletic Director Mike Ruth,
MCCPS students now compete
in soccer, track and basketball.
The 5th-through-8th-grade
cross-country team has won all
six of its meets. Captain Nate
Fowler, an 8th-grader, placed
first in all the meets with an Cross-country team
average mile time of 5:57, and
was first (out of 300 runners!)
in the 1.7 mile at the Northeast Conference Invitational Meet.
Our varsity and junior varsity soccer teams have also done
well.The varsity team, fielded by students in grades 6-8 and
led by co-captains FJ Murphy and Andy Haley, has a 9-0
record.The varsity finished the season by winning the Charter
Cup Classic. Our newly formed JV squad worked hard in a
four-game series against Cohen-Hillel Academy. Special
thanks to our wonderful nurse (and parent) Kelly Keenan for
taking on the head coach position for the JV team.
Mrs. Mello holding Snickers the Guinea pig.
stay until 5:00 for professional development, and her
husband, Randy, drives the girls.
With a degree in Elementary Education from
Southern Mississippi University, Ms. Mello's experi-
ence runs the gamut in every grade and school size,
but she's never felt more at home right away than she
does here in her first year at MCCPS. “It’s unlike any
other school I’ve been in,” she says. “From day one, I
felt a part of it, and my opinion was as valued as any-
one else’s.”
Nolan scores the winning goal.
W H AT ’ S N EW ( S ) AT M CC PS — N OV E M B E R 2 0 0 8
MENTORING
Continued from page 1
aspects of the program are individualized to meet the
unique needs of each teacher. Fundamental compo-
nents of the program include: curriculum mapping,
classroom management and discipline, co-teaching,
addressing student needs, assessing student progress,
goal setting, and special education.
New seventh grade humanities teacher, Karen
Girouard, touts the program, “I feel very fortunate to
have the opportunity to learn from an incredible
teacher. I realized how much I have yet to learn and
what a cohesive school this is.” Sixth grade humanities
teacher, Ivy Connelly, agrees, “Having a mentor teacher
has been a great experience. I feel more supported in a
new school than I ever have.”
Carefully orchestrated mentoring is also imperative for
the children’s sake. Teacher quality is the essential ingredi-
ent in student achievement. Those who are taught by
under-prepared or unsupported teachers do less well than
children who have teachers with a strong background in
content knowledge and a solid support system. Ongoing
reflection, evaluation, and revision enable us to continual-
ly improve the MCCPS induction and mentoring pro-
gram. In this way, we serve our new teachers by offering
quality support, and we serve our students by giving
them the best teachers possible.
Teaching is intellectually complex and demanding
work, and no one can know everything there is to
know about teaching or ever will. Constant learning
is the name of the game.
P TO B ox
The PTO is off to a great start this year! We
have been busy getting to know one another
and exploring ways to best serve our students
and staff. We are all members of our PTO by
virtue of our roles as parents or guardians
and involvement at our school is a privilege.
Please plan on coming to a future event and
getting involved.
PTO Sponsored Film Festival –
December 2-5 from 1:00 - 3:15PM
Help needed to staff and facilitate. Please
contact Norma Ross (rossclan5@verizon.net)
if you can dedicate even an hour.
PTO Holiday Social on Tuesday, December 16;
location to be announced. Look for further
details in an email and in the Wednesday
notices.
3
EXHIBITION
Continued from page 1
reformer in the United States, believes, “The real goal
is for kids to use resourcefully what they know,
which requires a different kind of teaching—a teach-
ing that puts the student on center stage.” Exhibition
does just that.
“When a student assumes a role—say of Albert
Einstein or Abigail Adams—they actually live histo-
ry,” asserts Interim Academic Director, Nina Cullen-
Hamzeh. “There is a concrete application of skills
and a real retention of content. Exhibitions are not
only hands-on, but ‘minds-on’.”
Seventh grade student Peter Wright feels that
exhibitions help him, “learn in a different way.” Ms.
Cullen-Hamzeh notes, “Exhibitions are truly authen-
tic assessments and provide a unique opportunity for
both the most challenged and the most gifted stu-
dents to shine. The rubrics we use to measure per-
formance are designed so that everyone is supported
and nurtured.”
Exhibitions also serve the school well—making
schools externally accountable by providing mem-
bers of the community an opportunity to view what
and how students are learning. Perhaps most
importantly, exhibitions encourage students to move
toward deeper and more substantive understanding
and, in so doing, ask teachers to shift their emphasis
from transferring information to providing a usable
base of skills and knowledge. Exhibition projects are
geared toward enhancing academic success, encour-
aging productive attitudes, and developing habits of
lifelong learning. And yes, it is also a great night out.
MCCPS Student Council
A Popular Enrichment Teaches Leadership Skills
BY LAURA SMITH
O ne of the many enrichments
offered at MCCPS, the Student
Council is a place where students can
make a direct impact in the school.
Last year, for example, guided by
three 8th graders, the Student Council
convinced Mr. Barry to put dividers
between the urinals in the boys’ bath-
room. This year’s Student Council is
being led by interim academic direc-
tor Nina Cullen-Hamzeh, and her
goals are a bit, well, loftier.
“We’ve had Student Councils on
and off over the course of our 14
years, and it’s had different functions,” This year’s Student Council is working on the vision and mission of
said Ms. Cullen-Hamzeh. This year, the the school.
group began with Film Festival recom-
mendations, and then did some work on the vision focused on the dress code, as it did when Ms. Cullen
and mission of the school. When she asked them to Hamzeh led it in the school’s second year. The found-
think of a procedure for students to bring an issue to ing parents wanted a prep school look, she said, but
the school’s attention, Ms. Cullen-Hamzeh was pleas- by 2002, the students had identified that it was gen-
antly surprised. “They weren’t talking about issues, der biased—harder for boys—so it was changed to
but rather how they could note something good that be more equitable. “Long hair, corn rows, purple
was happening—or that a student did. It grew into a stripes, who cares?” Ms. Cullen-Hamzeh asked. “We
discussion about commendation and making sure say ‘No’ so often that it’s important to say ‘Yes’ when
everyone gets noticed,” she said. we can. As long as it’s neat and clean, it’s okay for stu-
It’s quite an evolution for a program that once dents to express themselves.”

E x h i b i t i o n P r e v i e w – G l o b a l Th e m e : C o m m u n i c at i o n
Grade 4 Grade
Students have created
bridge designs, purchased
materials from the ware-
house, and built their
bridges. Each performed
an important role in the
project as architect, carpen-
ter, accountant, or con-
struction manager. They
have also assumed the role
of an immigrant who came
to America. After choosing
a country of origin, they
explored the experience of
immigration through read-
ing and writing. They will
converse with a customs
agent in French and
Spanish!
5 Grade
Students have become
historians and curators
as they researched and
reproduced artifacts from
ancient cultures. They have
also become authors, creat-
ing stories inspired by folk-
tales. Finally, they have
become architects and
builders. Employing their
math and science skills to
plan and construct scale
models of ancient struc-
tures.
6 Grade
Students have become
poets, experimenting with
rhymed quatrains, haikus,
simile, metaphor, preposi-
tion poems, and even an ‘I
Can’t Write A Poem’ poem.
They have also become
transportation engineers
as they designed and built
battery-operated cars and
wrote songs about the
cars’ subsystems and the
forces that act upon them.
7 Grade
Students have created an
Ancient Mesopotamian
Portfolio and a Living
Science/History Museum
that includes an ancient
article or creation story, a
replica of a scientific/his-
torical artifact, a research
project, a poetry sampler,
artwork inspired by
Hammurabi’s Code, and a
game demonstrating basic
number sense and the
functions of cells in the
human body.
8
Students have become
artists, anthropologists,
and advertising experts as
they created family trees
and calendars to be sold
in “La Petite Librairie
Francaise” on Exhibition
Night. They have also
become historians who
have explored the concepts
of utopia and dystopia
through literature, histori-
cal events, and their own
writing.

4 W H AT ’ S N EW ( S ) AT M CC PS — N OV E M B E R 2 0 0 8
Rocket Fuel Being Developed
BY EMIL RONCHI
Y ou may be surprised to learn that the MCCPS
Educational Foundation is developing the techni-
cal expertise, management ability, and other resources
to significantly increase the production of rocket fuel
at MCCPS. We are making substantial progress and
are preparing for commercial production in the near
future.
Meanwhile, prototype facilities are in place and
available for testing. We are all very excited about
this development and trust you will be, too.
O.K., you can put the phone down now. The
rocket fuel and the engine are, of course, metaphors
for “cash” and “innovation.” It is the engine of inno-
vation that the Educational Foundation seeks to fuel.
Our mission statement is a little more formal, I sup-
pose, what with the need to dial back the octane:
The mission of the MCCPS Educational Foundation is
to develop community partnerships that enhance the
resource capacity of MCCPS to deliver according to its
fullest potential as an innovative public charter school.
Maybe we should reword it to talk about rocket
fuel, but in any case the MCCPS Educational
Foundation wants to help launch innovative practices
and support the mission of the school in a big way.
To do that, we need to develop resource partnerships
Vo l u n t e e r O p p o r t u n i t i e s
MCCPS runs with the help of many volunteers. Thanks to everyone who is giving their time and
energy to help forward our mission of involving, learning from, participating in, and serving our
school community and community at large. Please get involved!
Volunteers needed:
• To help the kitchen staff. FUN environment
working with great people to create healthy
food for our students. No experience neces-
sary! Please contact Eileen Perry (eperry@mar-
bleheadcharter.com) if you can give a morning
or two any day of the week.
• To help teachers and staff with ongoing (and
time-consuming) copying needs. Please con-
tact Eileen Perry (eperry@marbleheadcharter.
com) if you can give as little as one hour per
week or month.
• To help our art teacher, Dominique Dart,
during class time on special projects. No
experience necessary – just patience! Please
contact Madame Dart (ddart@marblehead-
charter. com) if you can help.
• To help with food service at the annual Winter
Artisans Crafts Fair on Saturday, December 6.
People needed to help the kitchen staff serve
good food and good cheer. Donate one hour
both locally and globally. Would you like to be a part
of that? Just let any of us know!
of Mr.Barry
Three months into the school year, the Ed
Foundation is finding its legs again, sporting addi-
tional trustees and grand ambitions. We welcome
Letty Kerai, Holly Sullivan and Ray Torto to the
standing team of trustees including Jeffrey Barry,
Charles L. Newhall, Emil Ronchi, and Paul Taylor.
With two meetings since nearly doubling our
membership, we’ve made good progress in tightening
up the nuts and bolts of what we’re going to do and
how we’re going to do it, with a good common
understanding of our purpose, strategy, and method-
ology. We’ve got more work to do, of course, but in
the interim we’ve got great news to share.
Soon, the Rosetta Stone language program will
become available to our kids at MCCPS. The
Foundation is thrilled to provide the initial funding
for this innovative approach to language education.
Providing seed money for innovative practices is a
key function of the Foundation. In future columns I
hope you’ll read more about the success we’re having
in establishing the resource partnerships to enable
that function, and more about how you can help in
ways great and small. The great news is just begin-
ning!
but please help! Please contact Pam Haley
(phaley@marbleheadcharter.com). Booths still
available to Crafters.
• To run or help staff an enrichment. We are
always in need of people to share their talents
and/or time with our students. Parents and
community members have an opportunity to
enhance the learning of our students. Can you
sew or bake? Are you computer savvy? Are you
a wood worker? Please contact Molly Wright
(mwright@marbleheadcharter.com) if you can
help.
Elayne, Mike and Sallie helped paint the Gym.
W H AT ’ S N EW ( S ) AT M CC PS — N OV E M B E R 2 0 0 8
From the Desk
ne of the com-
O mon questions
we're asked at the
start of the school
year is,“What do you
do with the dona-
tions to the Student
Activities Fund?”I
think it’s important that you know these
monies support access for every student to
ALEKS (the online math program), the NWEA
testing system we use at the school, the cost
of the student planners, scholarships for field
trips throughout the year, free fruit that is
available to all students during the day,
recess/playground equipment, the Enrich-
ment program, and other school-wide activi-
ties. Please know that we understand the
challenges of the current economy and
appreciate your support. Additionally, since
this is a donation, it may be tax deductible.
Of course, the school is not immune to the
overall increase in the cost of goods lately:
from copy paper to utilities to the cost of food,
we've seen a steady rise in the prices we pay
for almost everything. It's part of my responsi-
bility, along with every employee and the
school's FinCom, to find ways to minimize the
financial impact at the classroom level, where
the vast majority of resources should be (and
are) expended. For example, we avoided a sig-
nificant increase to the school's health insur-
ance costs this year by joining a larger group
and the staff has made a sincere effort to
reduce consumables, turn off lights when their
rooms are empty, and to think of creative ways
to save valuable resources.We also keep our
gas-fired, roof-top HVAC units well maintained
in order to control heating costs during the
winter. By now, you've seen several different
fundraisers come home with your child(ren).
Thanks for helping to support the mission of
the school, and please let us know if you have
any creative fundraising ideas.
5
MAGNA CH RTER
SOON-TO-BE HAPPEN I NGS

December 2 - 5, 2008
PTO sponsored Film Festival

December 6, 2008
Winter Artisans Crafts Fair
(booths still available to Crafters)

December 11, 2008, 7:00 pm

Board of Trustees meeting

December 16, 2008, 6:30 pm

PTO Holiday Social

December 19, 2008

Student Snowflake
Dance Party

MAGNA CHARTER November 2008

What’s New(s) at MCCPS

“Your willingness to Dear Charter Families and Friends,
contribute and get
Welcome to the 1st edition of the resurrected Magna
the work done is Charter! It’s been years since we’ve enjoyed a printed
both inspirational school newsletter, and I extend my heartfelt gratitude to
everyone who helped to accomplish this Herculean feat.
and energizing;
For years we depended primarily upon our website to
we’re on a team communicate information about MCCPS, but the Magna
that puts the kids Charter is back! When you’re finished reading, I encour-
age you to visit MarbleheadCharter.org. It is an excellent
first, and it feels
source of information about grade level work, Exhibition
great!” projects, Board activities, opportunities to get involved,
— Nina Cullen-Hamzeh fundraisers, etc.
Were you a part of our painting party? Have you
donated something to the school? Have you been dig-
ging in the Outdoor Classroom? Have you helped to
prepare meals in the kitchen? Are you on the Board?
The PTO? The Foundation? Are you a room parent? An
enrichment volunteer? Likely you’ve done/donated several
things already this year to make MCCPS a special place.
Thank you! Your willingness to contribute and get the
work done is both inspirational and energizing; we’re on a
team that puts the kids first, and it feels great!
I consider myself very fortunate to be a part of this
extraordinary learning community, and I look forward to
working with your children everyday. Thank you for
choosing Charter, and please become as involved as your
schedule allows. It’s your school, too. I hope to see you
soon and often.
Sincerely,
Nina Cullen-Hamzeh
Interim Academic Director