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Third-graders present 'Exploring Perspectives' letters at Newington board meeting
Summary
Ruth L. Chaffee students presented work from the Exploring Perspectives literacy unit — a classroom project that had third-graders research an advocate and write letters urging change — at the Newington Board of Education meeting on May 28, 2025.
At the May 28 Newington Board of Education meeting, third-graders from Ruth L. Chaffee School presented work from a literacy unit called Exploring Perspectives, a classroom module that asks students to research advocates, write letters and practice public speaking.
The program, principal Jim Marciano told the board, “engages critical thinking about multiple perspectives” and is organized around four domains: diversity, identity, fairness and action. Third-grade teacher Miss Aguirre described the culminating assignment — “This project is called letter to an advocate” — as the unit’s way of having students research people who worked for change and then write a letter asking the person to address an issue important to the child.
Students presented letters to historical and contemporary figures they had studied. One student, who identified himself as Arian, said he chose Steve Jobs and asked how technology could be used positively; another student, Kate Hart, said she wrote to Joseph Smith to ask about greater representation for members of her faith. Brooklyn Leahy told the board she wrote to ballerina Misty Copeland about representation and racial equity in the arts; Alex Feliciano presented a letter to Franklin D. Roosevelt about economic equity and the modern economy.
Miss Aguirre explained the classroom process: brainstorming topics, read-alouds and videos for diverse exposure, small-group research, and a project phase that produced posters or slide presentations. She told the board students were expected to use age-appropriate sources and graphic organizers and then present their findings aloud. Marciano and other board members emphasized that the project was designed to build students’ research, reflection and public-speaking skills as well as civic awareness.
Board members praised the students’ work and composure. Board member Jessica Weaver said the presentations showed “the caring, the maturity, the kindness, but just the intelligence” of the students; fellow members highlighted the program as an example of culturally responsive pedagogy being used to improve classroom engagement.
No formal board action followed the presentation; the segment was presented as an instructional showcase and to highlight curriculum work at Ruth L. Chaffee.
The board packet contains sample student work and photos from classroom projects; teachers said similar lessons had been used in kindergarten through fourth grade with grade-appropriate adaptations.
