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Assistant Superintendent Update

April, 2019 Volume 2 Issue 4

AssistantSuperintendent UpdateApril, 2019 Volume 2 Issue 4

Teaching and Learning are Blooming this Spring!

“Education is a once in a lifetime opportunity to open children’s hearts and minds to the unbelievable wonder of the universe.” – Sir Anthony Seldon

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District Health and Wellness Team

Our District Health and Wellness Committee met on March 7 to review our current policy. We also received some valuable insights and feedback from students, parents, and our food service partners. Due to our students' input we have added more breakfast cart items and smoothies to the menus at several schools. We are in the process of revising our policy and will be meeting again in May to review the same.
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Shadow a Student Challenge!

This was my second year in North Providence shadowing one of our amazing students! http://www.schoolretool.org/ The goal is to learn more about their experiences from their unique perspective and to use this knowledge to improve our schools' practices. Several of our principals engaged in this worthwhile process to improve their schools as well.
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District Reading Week was a Huge Success!

March 25 - 29, 2019 was our second annual District Reading Week! At every level, there were amazing literacy events daily that supported celebrating reading. There were special guest readers, authors' visits, events like "Breakfast and Books," book swaps, and more. It was such an honor to be able to read to our students at all of our elementary schools.

You are not a true success unless you are helping others be successful. Jon Gordon

Continuing to Build Strong and Positive Relationships = North Providence Community

We are visiting schools, classrooms, and students every week and continuing to build important relationships with all. It is wonderful to be a part of our students’ learning! Some of the events we have been part of: School events, concerts, Special School Academic events, P.B.I.S., and Community Events. We are very proud to be a part of the North Providence School Community!



#npsdpride #npsdlearns #npsdfeedthepositive

Curriculum, Instruction, Assessments and More...

  • Completed the successful conduction of the PSAT10 and SAT assessments at NPHS; continuing RICAS assessments in Grades 3-8; moving onto RI Science Assessment in May in Grades 3, 8, and 11.
  • AIMSWeb Plus Universal Screening P.D. (Third round) for both Reading Specialists Teachers and Special Education Teachers at the Elementary Level to support conducting assessments, analysis of data and progress monitoring for students
  • Completed Winter District Universal Screening Assessments at the Elementary (AIMS Web Plus) and Secondary Levels (STAR); Utilizing data to provide interventions and progress monitor students; At both the Elementary and Middle School Levels students are showing evidence of improved reading proficiency
  • Completed Winter Fountas and Pinnell reading assessment to support identifying and improving students' reading instructional levels
  • Examining data at all levels using templates for school-wide conversations
  • Received and sharing results of screenings with administrative team, staff, and families.
  • Received RICAS data https://lms.backpack.education/public/ride and have reviewed and analyzed all data at district and school level in an effort to target areas of need in Reading and Math Grades 3-8
  • Created a District Wide Action Plan to respond to our RICAS/SAT/PSAT Datahttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1bm8EguMz-ubeT3ivy58miGz4H2hLzGrG6RQIEq1j9hg/edit?usp=sharing
  • All of our Principals have created School-Based Action Plans in response to related RICAS and SAT/PSAT10 data for NPHS
  • Continuing our work on consistent systematic review and analysis of district and school-wide data to improve both instruction and achievement
  • Fundations program (Phonics/Pre-Reading Skills) in Grades K - 2 is going very well. www.wilsonlanguage.com/programs/fundations
  • Successful piloting of the Summit Learning program www.summitlearning.org in Grade 5 at both Whelan and Stephen Olney Elementary School to support personalization of students' learning; Parents continue to be kept informed about this program and our students' success.
  • Working on a pilot of the Summit Learning program at both Birchwood Middle School and a modified version for Ricci Middle School in Grade 7 for next year to bridge the Elementary program and the Middle to High School program. We are also looking to expand into other elementary schools in the future.
  • IXL Program continues www.ixl.com for all students in Grades K - 8 to support Math and Reading Interventions and Enrichment; Our student usage continues to grow each month with many classes and students receiving special awards from IXL for their success!
  • Achieve 3000 Program continues www.achieve3000.com for all students in Grade 7 to support Reading Comprehension through Social Studies, Science, and ELA content; Usage and success in this program continue to grow at both Middle Schools; We are seeing improvements based on our STAR Reading Winter data.
  • Achieve 3000 ongoing Professional Development including coaching and classroom teacher support
  • Granted pilot of https://www.lexialearning.com/ to support literacy instruction through this personalized platform for our most at-risk students in ELL, Reading and Special Education for Grades K - 12.
  • Continuing curriculum professional development at both Elementary and Secondary levels: Math, ELA, and integration of Blended Learning resources in all curriculum.
  • Just completed Reading Grade level P.D. for Grades K - 5; Teachers collaborated to examine Fundations program success and continued success in their Reading Workshop and Grades 3-5 collaborated in improving Guided Reading strategies and continued success in their Reading Workshop
  • Middle School Content Professional Development will be conducted again in the Spring in collaboration with one of our teachers and FUSE Fellows, Mrs. Katie Bowers
  • Our NPHS Science - Chemistry department was awarded a grant from the U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR) to support further Blended Learning experiences
  • Ongoing Science Professional Development in coordination with East Bay RI Collaborative at the Elementary level and ongoing support of RI Science Assessment, Spring, 2019
  • NAEP Assessment was successfully conducted at Stephen Olney, Greystone, Birchwood and Ricci Schools

More Supports at All Levels...

  • Technology: 1:1 Devices for all students Grade 3-5; continuing to add more devices for primary students at the Elementary Level; ongoing 1:1 at Middle School Level; adding more Chromebooks at NPHS.
  • Continuing new 504 forms and procedures Grades K-12 introduced last year.
  • Continuing our District R.t.I./M.T.S.S. Committee to review our current District Guide and how procedures, intervention forms and intervention resources are moving forward.
  • Continued Universal P.B.I.S. programs at Elementary and Middle level with further expansion at Elementary schools with no formal behavioral support programs.
  • Continued M.T.S.S grant work (American Institutes for Research) with McGuire Elementary and Birchwood Middle School; seeking supports at other schools for next year.
  • Our PTECH (Pathways in Technology Early College High School) program at North Providence High School continues to be a huge success and is recognized statewide for its achievements! We are so proud of our 82 students' outstanding work in the health field led by our Director, Mrs. Melissa Caffrey and team.
  • Our Marine Trades program at both the North Providence High School and Birchwood Middle School continues to be an outstanding and real-world pathway for our students. Our Marine Trades Program at NPHS has received preliminary accreditation as a CTE program.
  • The Mechatronics Program at Ricci Middle School and S.T.E.A.M. Program at Birchwood Middle School continue to be successful and growing!
  • We have applied for CTE program approval for our Pre-Engineering/Robotics program at NPHS
  • Awarded Champlin Grant for S.T.E.A.M. program at Birchwood which will be utilized to build a greenhouse/outdoor classroom; construction starting soon!
  • The American Institute for Research (A.I.R.) continues to support our teachers at the Middle and High School levels in Math as part of the Better Teaching Math Network (B.T.M.N.). They will be working on improving Mathematical instructional practices and student engagement. Here is a recent article from the Valley Breeze regarding the successful B.T.M.N. program: https://bit.ly/2EwQYpI

Some Other Highlights:

  • Continuing to conduct, review, and revise current Elementary and Secondary curriculum documents and resources on district teams in an effort to improve coherence and consistency of curriculum K –12; our teams for ELA and Math have met several times and will continue to meet to complete this important work.
  • Met with all NPHS Department Chair teachers to review and discuss all curriculum documents.
  • Coordinating meetings between NPHS Department Chairs and Middle School related Content teachers to collaborate on the vertical alignment of curriculum Grades 6-12
  • Monthly meetings with K-12 Reading Specialists to work on curriculum, data analysis, and support collaboration. Continued work on a District Reading Website to share resources, materials, and strategies for teachers and families.
  • Monthly meetings with Administrative Team, Elementary, and Middle School Administrative teams. Our goal is to improve communication, collaboration and support best leadership and instructional practices at all levels.
  • Met with District Family Engagement Committee to support efforts for increased parent/family involvement at all levels. We are planning several activities for this year.
  • Continuing to mentor an Elementary student in the district this year.
  • Both Middle Schools and the High School P-TECH program sent student teams to the Junior Achievement Fair earlier this year in Providence.




It has been such a pleasure and honor to share and celebrate all of the exemplary teaching and learning we have experienced in the past several months. We have the best students in the world!!

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Ricci Social Media Night with Students and Parents

On March 13 , 2019 Ricci Middle School hosted a special event where staff and students supported parents in learning about various social media platforms. They discussed the hazards of social media as well as the positive uses. Stations were set up where students and staff led the conversations about how instagram, facebook, Skyward, and other platforms could be utilized. What a meaningful way to navigate social media and support our families!
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Kindergarten Registration

Our Kindergarten registration was held on March 16 and March 23, 2019 at North Providence High School. We conducted the registration by the first initial of the last name and divided the two days as such. It was very successful with our principals, Early Childhood Coordinator, ELL teachers, food service and registration staff all ready to welcome and support our new Kindergarten students and future cougars!
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Induction Meeting

On March 26, 2019 we met with our new teachers to review some critical best instructional practices. Based on their feedback, we focused on the importance of higher level questioning for our students. We reviewed relevant and current research together. They all meet individually with their Induction Coaches each week to support their teaching and growth as new teachers. We are very proud of their continued hard work and commitment to be the very best educators for our students in North Providence.
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Station Rotation in Grade 5

We continue to embed blended learning practices into our classroom instruction at all levels. Through the integration of technology our students are engaged at higher levels and their learning is personalized with ease. We continue to share and embed blended learning resources at all levels.
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THINKFAST at Birchwood

On March 29, 2019, students were engaged in an exciting game where they were testing their knowledge about driving safety, related laws, and substance abuse. Through a RI Department of Transportation grant, the school received this worthwile and fun program for our students. The winning teams were rewarded with Amazon gift cards -- a big hit! They all learned valuable information about these important issues in a fun, exciting, and memorable way.
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Reading Teachers Reviewing Squiggle Park and Dreamscape

On April 4, 2019 the elementary Reading teachers, myself, and a representative from Squiggle Park and Dreamscape, all met to give our feedback on these two excellent game-based digital literacy intervention programs. We are experiencing great success with our Grade K -2 students using https://squigglepark.com/. Students are learning phonemic awareness and phonics skills in a fun and motivating way. Dreamscape is a reading comprehension program that is free for Grades 3-5. We are finding that students love the challenges of earning certain items and creating "lands" in this very creative game-based platform. We are looking forward to continuing to work with this company to further support and improve our students' reading abilities and achievement.
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Giana Nassi of NPHS is Awarded RICCA Coach of the Year /Cheerleading Team Awarded Team Sportsmanship Award

On April 8, 2019 our NPHS Science teacher and Head Cheerleading Coach, Giana Nassi, was awarded the RI Cheerleading Coaches Association Award for "High School Coach of the Year." In addition, the cheerleading team was awarded the "Team Sportsmanship Award." This is such a well

deserved and prestigious honor! Congratulations to Giana and the team!

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National Honor Society Event for NPHS

On April 11, 2019, NPHS Juniors and Seniors were recognized and celebrated at the National Honor Society event. It was a very special celebration for all. Superintendent Goho was recognized for leading this event for the past 20 years as principal of NPHS with a special stole.
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RICAS/PSAT 10/SAT Assessments

We have completed the PSAT 10 assessment with our sophomores at NPHS. We have also completed the SAT assessment with our NPHS Juniors. It went very well with a new digital platform this year for the PSAT 10. We are also in the process of completing our RICAS assessment in grades 3-8. It has been a very successful testing period in our district. Special thanks to all of our principals, testing coordinators at the NPHS, all of our teachers and our technology team for their commitment to our students and fidelity to the assessment process. It is truly a team effort!!