Teachers use students to showcase a day in the life of a fourth-grader

The board learned about the various subjects students are taught at J. Mason Tomlin School.

By KRYSTAL NURSE

The Sun

Fourth-grade teachers and specialists at J. Mason Tomlin Elementary School gave a presentation at the Mantua School District Board of Education meeting on Feb. 11.

The teachers from JMT had various fourth-grade students describe, in a video, what they do throughout the week at the school. No student was identified by the teachers.

In the video presentation, two students discussed how they are taught the 10 character virtues every month, with February being positive attitude, throughout multiple classroom lessons and books.

“Our learning goal is, ‘I will identify and understand what a positive attitude is,’” said a student. “The footprint of a positive attitude is through positive outcomes.”

During the soft start period, a time in the morning before academic instruction, students work on homework and other miscellaneous school-related activities. Once a week, students learn languages through DuoLingo, a language learning platform.

Students then talked about how they’re learning new math concepts through practice assessments, meeting with Edward Pietrzak, STEM teacher at JMT, for in-depth science lessons and projects, and learning geography using interactive computer programs.

The fourth-graders touched on how they’re pushed to fine-tune their English skills.

“In spelling, we learned spelling patterns,” said a student. “One of our favorite activities is looking for other words we know that contain those patterns.”

Patricia Bair, the school’s in-class support teacher, said students in fourth grade are also encouraged to participate in classroom and small group discussions to help each other learn and brainstorm ideas.

Superintendent Robert Fisicaro complimented the teachers for what they do to help the students learn, and said that if someone who is in high school now or recently graduated came back and visited JMT, they wouldn’t recognize it, for good reason.

In other news:

● Fisicaro said the board is preparing to submit the budget to the county next month, with a public hearing in April. They have not finalized what the tax rate will be and anticipate zero reductions in staffing.

● The district will soon move to an electronic format of scheduling substitutes in roughly eight weeks. To ease themselves into the new process, each of the three schools will receive a substitute to start the day to fill vacancies. If a school has 100 percent teacher attendance, Fisicaro said it will be under the principals’ discretion on what to do.

● During public comment, Kathy McCartwright, who identified herself as an MTEA member, asked for clarification on if preschool staffers are covered by the preschool expansion grant the district was awarded by the state in October, and on the board’s anticipation for no staff reductions next year. Fisicaro said yes, and the district will have an equal number of positions next year as it does this year.

The next meeting is scheduled to occur March 11 at the Administration Building beginning at 7 p.m.