Gardner MA School Ratings

Don’t let old online reviews fool you…. Gardner Public Schools are or are becoming excellent.    Gardner MA School Ratings for Gardner Public Schools should now be listed as good to excellent.   There are a number of reasons: Gardner has updated its curriculum in the last couple of years or so, for every grade level from Kindergarten to Grade 12.   We have the details available to you right here in pdf format – Kindergarden  —- Grade 1 —- Grade 2 —- Grade 3 —- Grade 4 —- Grade 5 —- Grade 6 —- Grade 7 —- Grade 8 —- Gardner High School Program of Studies 2022-2023. —-  Gardner High School Program of Studies 2021-2022

Gardner MA School Ratings will continue to grow.

Gardner MA School Improvement

School Improvement has been a focus of Superintendent Pellegrino and one of the reasons he was recently awarded a renewal of his contract by an appreciative and all-too-eager-to-praise unanimous Gardner MA School Committee. Ratings – excellent!  Article on that  Meeting. 

For example, here is the Gardner Middle School Improvement Plan. CLICK HERE-— In May 2022, the School Committee Report contained a School Improvement Update.  CLICK HERE. —– And the Gardner Public Schools continually reviews its Curriculum and even publishes the 5 YEAR 2021-2026 review cycle. CLICK HERE.   Various other subjects are also broken down into individual guides such as High School History and Social Science, CLICK HERE, and High School Math 9-12, CLICK HERE.

NEW Gardner Elementary School

And of course, there’s the exciting news of Gardner’s NEW Elementary School opening in the Fall of 2022. See article with photos, CLICK HERE.

Another article regarding Gardner MA new Elementary School becoming reality, CLICK HERE.

Gardner MA School Safety

Gardner Public Schools keeps its students safe. Here’s our article on when they honored the School Resource Officer and DARE Instructor. CLICK HERE.

Gardner MA School Efficiency

At a School Budget Session of June 6, 2022, the Gardner MA City Council heard Superintendent Mark Pellegrino speak of “an efficiently-run system.” For article, CLICK HERE.

Gardner MA Athletic Fields

Gardner MA is investing over $600,000 to improve School Athletic Fields. Press Release has details, CLICK HERE.

Gardner MA Graduations

Graduations: Gardner High School Graduation 2022 on YouTube, CLICK HERE. Gardner Academy Graduation on YouTube, CLICK HERE.

Gardner MA Education – Social/Emotional Learning

Education can be more challenging to some students based on a variety of reasons and circumstances.   School Committee member Anne Hurst recently praised the District’s efforts in Social/Emotional Learning.   Here is the  Gardner MA Social – Emotional Learning Framework.   CLICK HERE.

According to the Social – Emotional Learning Framework, “Social and Emotional Learning is an integral part of education and human development. SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions, and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.”

“SEL advances educational equity and excellence through authentic school – family – community partnerships to establish learning environments and experiences that feature trusting and collaborative relationships, rigorous and meaningful curriculum and instruction, and ongoing evaluation. SEL can help address various forms of inequity and empower young people and adults to co-create thriving schools and contribute to safe, healthy, and just communities.”

The Social and Emotional Learning Framework pdf attached goes into extensive detail as to how the Gardner Public Schools addresses self-awareness, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. For the framework, CLICK HERE.

Gardner MA Public Schools recognizes the importance of the Arts in the educational health of its students. That’s why it incorporates the Arts in its curriculum. Ceramics, Chorus, Creative Art, General Band, Photography, and Theatre – all are important components of education in the arts in the Gardner Public School System. After all, Arts are at the Heart of Smart!

Renewed Focus on the Arts

Ceramics

Students demonstrate knowledge of the methods, materials, and techniques unique to clay. Students develop ideas through inquiry, discovery, and research. Students demonstrate knowledge of the processes of creating and exhibiting their own artwork.

Chorus

Students sing alone and with a others a repertoire of literature with technical accuracy and expression, representing various genres, style, culture, and historical periods. Students sight-read, accurately and expressively, a varied repertoire of music.

Creative Art

Students demonstrate knowledge of the methods, materials, and techniques unique to the visual arts. Students demonstrate knowledge of the elements and principles of design. Students use knowledge of visual arts in the study of other content areas.

General Band

Students improvise and compose original melodies over given chord progressions consistent in style, meter and tonality. Students demonstrate knowledge of the technical vocabulary and symbols of the music in which they are studying.

Photography

Students demonstrate knowledge of the tools, methods materials, and techniques unique to photography. Students apply skills of observation, abstraction, invention, and expression to photography.

Theatre

Read, listen to, and tell stories from a variety of cultures, genres, and styles. Use vocal acting skills such as breath control, diction, inflection, rhythm, and pace to develop characterizations that suggest artistic choice.

The above descriptions give you a small insight into the Arts in the Gardner Public Schools. For more information, CLICK HERE.

The importance of the Arts is recognized in the Public Schools of the Chair City – Gardner Massachusetts. This contributes to the higher Gardner MA School Ratings and is an important aspect of education.

No Student Indoctrination

Gardner MA does not allow political views in teaching. From the Gardner Public Schools guide on Controversial Issues: “The teachers’ right to introduce controversial issues in classroom presentations does not include the right of advocacy.”  

“Teachers must refrain from using their positions to express partisan points of view…..must be objective and scholarly with minimum emphasis on opinion and maximum emphasis on intelligent analysis.”  

Here is the complete Guide, CLICK HERE.

Contributing to the higher ratings of Gardner MA Public Schools is that students are taught how to think, but not what to think.

Responsible Technology Policy for Students, Teachers, and Staff

From the policy, “Gardner Public Schools is committed to providing students, teachers, and staff with the technology and information literacy skills needed for learning and teaching in the 21^st century….promote student achievement and prepare students for success….” “committed to providing a safe and productive educational environment.”  

Appropriate online conduct is required of Students and District employees, “Users will conduct themselves with a commitment to integrity and respect of others and oneself at all times when communicating online…”  

For the full Technology Policy, CLICK HERE.  In addition, Gardner MA has a complete Guide for Professional Practices, CLICK HERE.

The safe and productive school environment in Gardner contributes to the higher Gardner MA School Ratings. 

Always Getting Better

Gardner MA has a Professional Development Plan.  CLICK HERE.

Part of educating students is the continued professional development of members of the Gardner School District. The School District states, “Every child, in every classroom, every day will: feel welcomed, safe, and included in our community. Adults will personally welcome each child as they enter the school and each classroom….Disciplinary practices are restorative rather than punitive – repairing relationships. Schools will actively engage families in the education of their children and community… School expectations, practices, and rules will be informed by the chronological and actual development levels of the children we serve….Each lesson will incorporate rigorous student tasks that engage all learners, provoke higher-order thinking, monitor each student’s progress, and provide feedback to students for improvement. The schools will monitor and adapt their instruction to ensure students learn the skills and knowledge to prepare them for their own future.”

Why Gardner Public School Teachers Keep Improving

The rest of the 17 page Professional Development Plan goes into detailed descriptions of the manner in which the high caliber of teaching will be maintained in the Gardner Public Schools through very specific proactive efforts. Expectations are clearly outlined. Resources are provided to teachers.

Measurable Statistics

Remember that when a new curriculum is put in place with more stringent standards in order to help students, there is always a time lag in measurable statistics.    We are working with the School Department in bringing you those statistics and results on a regular basis.

Great Students were the focus of the Gardner MA School Committee Meeting of May 9, 2022. CLICK HERE

Reading Success was documented in the School Committee Meeting of April 11, 2022 CLICK HERE.

At a School Committee meeting of December 14, 2022, Principal Earl Martin was praised for his success. CLICK HERE

In December 2021, Dr. Goguen reported on “Learning Walk” results and the huge increase in higher order thinking. CLICK HERE.