Teachers College Implementation
Now Encompasses Grades K-8
Enfield Public Schools is in its second year of
implementation of the writers’ workshop model.
E
nfield Public School teachers in
kindergarten through eighth
grade are using the writing units of
study developed by Lucy Calkins,
the founder and director of the
Teachers College Reading and
Writing Project. These units of
study ensure that students at all
levels of Enfield Public Schools are
being exposed to instruction of a
variety of genres of writing.
Students are also writing more with
the idea of choice playing a critical
role in the development of their
writing. Enfield Public Schools has
provided primary, intermediate, and
middle school teachers with
professional development from
Teachers College in the effective
delivery of writers’ workshop. These
professional development
opportunities have come in a variety
of forms. Over the past two years, we
have had consultants from Teachers
College deliver large group
professional development sessions
which explore both the elements of
the writers’ workshop model and the
units of study. Another form of
professional development consists of
consultants spending a day at a
school and modeling elements of the
workshop model in classrooms with
Enfield students. Enfield Public
Schools has also sent language arts
consultants and administrators to
New York City to attend a workshop
at Teachers College. Several teachers
from Enfield Public Schools took
advantage of The Teachers College
Fall Saturday Reunion, traveling to
New York City to attend this free
event which offered over 125
different sessions.
Growing Partnership Between EPS and MassMutual
The strong partnership between
MassMutual and Enfield Public
Schools continues to flourish. Since
2006 MassMutual has supported the
offering of Junior Achievement
Financial Education curriculum to
EPS students. Last year, students
from John F. Kennedy Middle
School took part in the JA in a Day
curriculum that was presented by
MassMutual volunteers in the spring
and fall. The fall cohort of students
also took part in MassMutual’s
FutureSmart SM Challenge at the
MassMutual Center in Springfield,
MA. The FutureSmartSM Challenge is
arranged in conjunction with select
NBA teams where the students learn
the importance of saving, career
choices, staying in school, and going
to college, and how each has a
profound impact on their future
financial success.
inSights - Winter 2015
Enfield High School students
were invited to attend MassMutual’s
Building Your Future Conference at
which more than 400 students from
Springfield, MA and Enfield, CT
gathered at Western New England
University to attend interactive
workshops to learn about career
paths, as well as how to get into and
pay for college.
At the 2014 Career Convention
held at Enrico Fermi High School,
MassMutual employees shared
information with students regarding
the Career Pathways program which
provides internship opportunities, as
well as renewable college
scholarships that can total up to
$20,000 per student. In addition,
several Enfield students have been
involved in MassMutual internship
programs, as well as have been hired
in permanent positions after college.
MassMutual has also provided
space at their Chicopee Learning
Center for the Enfield Public
Schools’ Administrative Retreat.
During the development of the new
innovation lab located at John F.
Kennedy Middle School,
MassMutual was a valuable resource.
Not only did they open their doors
for representatives from EPS to
explore their facilities so we could
model the lab after their innovative
style, but they also toured our site to
give input on the design of th