Rockport elementary students demonstrate classroom learning in math, reading and science

At the Rockport School Committee meeting April 2, elementary students from across grades presented classroom work to the committee and audience, explaining how digital programs and hands-on projects shape learning.

Third-graders Moe Twombly and Rose Bingle told the committee their teacher begins math with group word problems shown on a screen, and they described the district's I-Ready tools. "Usually, miss b does word problems on the screens in groups," Moe said, and described MyPath and Fluency Flight as ways students earn coins and practice skills until they reach fluency. Rose said the math workbooks "are really well" because they include many word problems that require rereading and thinking through steps.

Fourth-graders described the HMH reading program and the Waggle practice platform. One student said HMH includes nonfiction passages that connect to social studies and geography — "Some of the geography stories had poems in them about things like the Grand Canyon or the Mariana Trench" — and that online quizzes and vocabulary activities assigned by Mr. Whitley help with comprehension.

Fifth-graders described science labs and social-emotional learning. Declan recounted a filtration lab framed around a flood scenario and emphasized the role of journals in lab work. Rosalyn and classmates explained that CELA (the district's social-emotional learning rotation) pairs teachers across art, music, health, gym, tech and library to deliver cooperative activities that teach perspective-taking and teamwork.

Superintendent Mark Branca and trustees praised the students' presentations. The committee said the student work provides strong public-facing examples of the district's programs and learning culture.