The Curtis Guild Elementary School is in East Boston, close to Belle Isle Marsh. Nearly 90% of its 300 students are Latino/Hispanic, mostly immigrants from Central and South America. I was invited to the school by literacy specialist Maureen Galvin and welcomed by school secretary “Ms. Jane” Paronich with a big hug!
I never quite got used to the layout of the school, which consists of two brick buildings “nested” together in a weird configuration. The classrooms are on three levels and accessible by different staircases. Space is at a premium: copy machines are in a hallway near the office and the small teacher’s lounge is next to the boiler room.
As I looked for good angles from which to take photos in each classroom, I was delighted to hear so many encouraging words from teachers. Science teacher Meredith Martin started her class by asking students to talk about ways to make a sound louder, exclaiming often about their good ideas as she moved around the room. Linda Titus had her Kindergarteners chorus, “Nice try!” when a student got a wrong answer, and “Good job!” for a correct response.
Word study was a common lesson during my visit, which makes sense considering how many of the students at the Guild are English Language Learners. John Rogers had developed a way of reviewing vocabulary with one of his fourth graders operating the computer for his classmates. As they matched words with meanings, the kids acted out each word, adding a kinesthetic component to their learning.
Movement is valued at this school. One teacher had her students take a brief “stretch break” in between subjects. Dance teacher Niki Thelismond had an enthusiastic group of children moving to music in the auditorium. In an outdoor gym class on this beautiful day, Stephen Mahoney had K2 students counting as high as they could as they tossed beanbags back and forth, while he helped individual children with their throwing technique… and everyone gave a cheer when one pair counted up to 100!
I learned while I was visiting the Guild that the principal had recently resigned. While it’s impossible to know what went into his decision to leave just as the school year was getting underway, I imagine the pressure to constantly raise test scores may have played a part. As always, I was impressed by the ability of teachers to stay focused on children during such an abrupt transition… they are the only ones who seem to live up to that BPS slogan on a daily basis.
Amika Kemmler-Ernst, Ed.D.
amika45@comcast.net