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Dennis C. Haley Elementary School
What Makes Us SpecialThe Haley School is a learning community of approximately 300 students. When you enter the building you enter a climate where all students are prepared for learning. We are the first Boston Public School to be designated a "Peace Zone" and all students and faculty honor the Pledge for Peace and components that make it work. We are also proud of our affiliation with the Boston Nature Center and Antioch New England and their collaboration with our teachers to help our school achieve an environmental focus for learning.
What Kinds of Parent Support and Resources Does Our School Provide?At the Haley School all parents are invited to attend monthly Parent Council meetings. The SPC organizes fundraisers and sponsors many special events including the Harvest Fair, Winterfest and International Dinner. Parents also have the opportunity to volunteer in classrooms, help with playground maintenance or assist in developing our newsletters. The after school program provides homework help, arts and crafts and outdoor activities for students who need after school care. Tutoring help is available as funds are available.
How are We Preparing Our Students for Educational Success?At the Haley School our focus is achieving success for all students in language arts and mathematics. To insure success all our teachers have continued training in the Literacy Collaborative program through Lesley University. This is a K-5 program and all teachers have the benefit of consistency in language and teaching methods throughout the grades. Supports provided for students include Reading Recovery at Grade 1 and extra help in reading through Title I support in Grades 1 and 2. At levels K-2 our students are "learning to read" by mastering skills needed for decoding and comprehending text. In grades 3-5 our students are "reading to learn" and learning more specific skills to enhance their reading comprehension across all subject areas.In the area of mathematics, Haley teachers are implementing the TERC Investigations program. This encourages students to learn through hands-on experiences and discover the relationships among numbers in our base ten system. Students discover how to "talk about" their mathematical thinking and what it takes to solve a problem. The key to continued success is the professional development provided for teachers in all areas. Teachers are taking a closer look at students work in math and writing during small group sessions where they discuss strategies to enhance learning. We also offer supports for all students in grades K-5 by offering math and reading help in after school tutoring. Teachers work with students 4 hours a week after school to help pinpoint specific areas of need in math and/or reading and provide small group help to get the job done. Technology is a tool used by staff members to track the work and progress our students are making. Teachers enter all test data and then use this tool to determine areas of strengths and weaknesses for various classes. Students also use technology to organize their work and develop ideas that are initiated in the classroom. Using a program called "Inspiration" students organize their thoughts for writing and develop them into essays and/or stories. Whether it be MCAS, Stanford9 or a writing essay, our students need to do the best they can. These are some of the strategies that help.
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