Holiday Concert, 2014

Another wonderful Holiday Concert, as the students of Berlin Memorial and Boylston Elementary come together for an outstanding show.  Many thanks to Peter Daley and Julie Spring for the wonderful job the did preparing our students for this evening.

Fourth Grade Owl Pellet Investigation

What does an owl eat?

Fourth graders dissected owl pellets to find out.  Prior to this activity, students had read and discussed the story “Energy in the Ecosystem.”  The owl pellet investigation allowed the students to see first hand what an owl eats and where it fits into the energy flow of a habitat.  Students used bone sorting charts to help them identify their owl’s last meal.  The student scientists discovered that their owls had eaten either a vole, mole, or bird.

Secretary of Education Malone Visits BMS!

Massachusetts Secretary of Education Matt Malone visited Berlin Memorial School today.  Escorted by student tour guides John Sawyer and Gretchen Munter, he visited classrooms, chatted with students and teachers, and then joined us for lunch!

From left to right:  John Campbell, Karen Molnar, Elizabeth Bennett, John Sawyer,Secretary Matthew Malone, Gretchen Munter, Superintendent Nadine Ekstrom, and School Committee Chair Angela Yildiz.

Harp Assembly, with an operatic surprise!

We gathered together on the first day back at school to enjoy an assembly which featured our long-term substitute Teacher, Julie Spring, playing the harp.  Ms. Spring, a trained harpist, has played professionally in a variety of settings, including time with the Chicago Symphony and as principal harpist for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. She promised me early on that she would bring in her harp to perform for our students.

Experiencing music in person is such a unique opportunity, and it was amazing to see how attentive students were during the event. At the end of the assembly Ms. Spring teamed up with Mollee Nosek, our Speech Language Pathologist, to perform a small piece of opera, which Ms. Nosek sang beautifully.  The video below doesn't do justice to the moment!