McDevitt School In The News: 2005-2006 School Year

The following articles appeared in The Daily News Tribune and The Boston Globe during the 05-06 school year.

The joy of discovery (the Daily News Tribune, June 20, 2006)
Fun and games at Waltham school (the Boston Globe, 6/22/06)
Middleschool brings comics to stage (the Daily News Tribune, 5/31/06)
Same old ’do for McDevitt principal (the Daily News Tribune, 3/8/06)
Beginning a new life in Korea on tide of goodwill from Waltham (the Boston Globe, 2/23/06)
Students pinch pennies for cancer research (the Daily News Tribune, 2/20/06)
Middle school does a trial run of crisis plan (the Daily News Tribune, 2/20/06)
Kids given crash course in Internet safety (the Daily News Tribune, 2/20/06)
McDevitt School identifies security improvement (the Daily News Tribune, 2/1/06)

The joy of discovery
By Christopher Rocchio, published in the Daily News Tribune, June 20, 2006
Christopher Rocchio photo
The average eighth-grade student plays video games for 23 hours a week, and a class at McDevitt Middle School is capitalizing on that popularity through a new science program called Quest Atlantis.  "We have a good time playing the game, but we also have to really use what we’ve learned throughout the course of the year," said eighth-grader Ogi Rapaic.  "It’s easier to focus, and it’s more exciting than just taking notes in class or reading a book." 

Quest Atlantis came to McDevitt through Mike Barnett, a resident and Boston College professor of science education and technology.  He helped develop the program while doing doctoral work at Indiana University.  The premise is simple.  "Middle school students play more video games than they watch television," said Barnett.  "We decided we might as well try to figure out ways to take advantage of that excitement and interest."  Through Quest Atlantis, McDevitt eighth-grade science teacher Heidi Sardina said she has introduced her students to Taiga, which is Russian for "forest." While exploring Taiga, Barnett said students are take part in various quests centered around solving a pollution problem in one of the interactive forest’s rivers.  "It’s pretty cool because Taiga is set-up just like the real world," said eighth-grader Matt King. "It’s a great new way of teaching that we’ll probably see more of as we get older." 

Barnett said Quest Atlantis features a 3D-interface window that is easy to navigate, and student also receive their own avatar, which is a representation of them in the virtual space. As students try to determine what pollutants are killing the river’s wildlife, they encounter others, from Native Americans and vacationers to lumber and fishing companies, he said.  "The goal is to have the students understand the differences between inferences and opinions," he said. "It’s a qualitative, sociological data-collection process."  Students embarking on their second quest in Taiga collect virtual data from the river and other sites in the forest. Barnett said there is also a lab, where students can bring the data they have collected to have it analyzed by a virtual scientist. That portion of the quest also includes charts, graphs and tables, according to Barnett.  He said he wants students to learn how to organize, display and interpret the information they find.  Once both quests are complete, Barnett said, each student will submit a final report to Sardina about what they think is killing the wildlife. Sardina said all of her students are excited about the program.  "It’s just another way to approach the learning process through the use of applicable technology," said Sardina. "Teaching my students through something that they enjoy doing is very important to me." 

Quest Atlantis also allows students to share their findings with other youth from across the world. Whether discussing engineering with a student in Singapore or soil samples with a youth in Australia, the program encourages sharing to solve problems, she said. The site is also safe as it is monitored 24-hours a day, seven days a week, she said.  "We can talk to people in the same classroom and state, plus people from throughout the country and across the world," said King.  Sardina said "virtual field trips" like the one offered through Quest Atlantis are probably going to be the newest push in education, allowing ecology to be brought into an urban school environment.  "We’re all big video game fans," said eighth-grader T.J. Cornish. "Quest Atlantis is similar to many of the games we play at home, which is awesome." 

Fun and games at Waltham school: Video program as teaching tool
By Lisa Kocian , published in the Boston Globe, June 22, 2006
Eighth-grader Jeff Taylor can dress up as a jock, a ski bum, a slacker, or a prom date as he makes his way through the virtual world of Taiga. He can dive into the water for a swim, build a house, and figure out what's killing the fish in a nearby river.  Taylor doesn't seem to mind that the Quest Atlantis video game is educational.  "It's kind of cool," he says as he shows off his ``avatar" (the video character that he can dress up and move around). "It's kind of like SimCity. "

Such role-playing video games could be coming soon to a school near you. Taylor, 13, is one of about 100 eighth-graders at the McDevitt Middle School in Waltham who are learning about the environment through the game as part of earth science class.  Some of the students said they like it so much they are playing the game on their own time. Nick Sturgeon said he and a friend spent more than seven hours immersed in the game on a recent weekend.  "It's a very fun, interesting game that helps us learn a lot," he said in an e-mail. "We hate doing homework."

Research has found that the average eighth-grade boy plays video games about 23 hours a week, and the average girl plays about 12 hours, more than they watch television, according to Michael Barnett, an assistant professor of science education and technology at Boston College.  Barnett helped develop Quest Atlantis as a doctoral student at Indiana University and brought it with him to BC in 2003. It is used in about 200 schools around the world, including seven in the Boston area, mostly in the city, said Barnett, who is pushing to get the game into more classrooms.  He said he hopes to add the program this fall to all sixth-grade classes in Waltham as well as some eighth-grade classes in Framingham, with Natick not too far behind.  "The coolest thing is, kids are having fun with it," said Barnett, 34, who acknowledged that he can be found playing video games at home to relax. "If you can get kids excited about learning, then the learning will take care of itself."  Youngsters naturally have curiosity and problem-solving skills, he said, and the game just helps tap into their abilities.  Girls seem to like the game as much as boys, which was not a given, Barnett said, since boys tend to have more interest in video games.  And the game seems to do well even with hard-to-reach students. At Garfield Elementary School in Brighton, he said, a student who hadn't turned in any assignments since the start of school in September completed every task in Quest Atlantis after it was introduced in March.

In the earth science class at the McDevitt school in Waltham recently, students were playing a version of Quest Atlantis that contains lessons on water pollution.  The eighth-graders maneuvered their characters through the fantasy world created by the game, taking water samples and testing them, for example, to try to figure out why the fish in the river were dying. A chat feature allowed them to talk to each other and to students around the country who are also using the program.

Sociability is built into the game, Barnett said, with students working in teams and helping each other gather the data necessary to complete tasks.  There are also extra features designed to be fun. Students can build a structure inside the virtual world for other students to see and admire, or collect credits that allow them to "buy" various prizes, such as electronic trading cards.  He said he has been working to get Quest Atlantis into schools with ethnically diverse populations because minority students, in particular, "often have been either left behind or do not consider themselves as scientists."  A similar role-playing game developed at Harvard University and Arizona State University has been used in about 50 schools nationally and in Boston but not yet in the western suburbs.  Chris Dede , the Timothy E. Wirth professor in learning technologies at Harvard, leads the project. One of the game's most important accomplishments, he said, has been its ability to motivate students.

Middle school brings comics to stage
By Christopher Rocchio , published in the Daily News Tribune, May 31, 2006
Andy Firestone photo
McDevitt Middle School eighth-grader Ivan Colon worked behind the scenes of the middle school’s fall performance of "Ghost Wanted."  However, after he saw the fun his classmates had on stage, Colon said he decided to audition for a role in this week’s musical performance of "The Life and Times of Li’l Abner." Not only did Colon pass his audition, he landed the lead role of Abner.  "Acting always seemed like lots of fun, and it is," said Colon. "It’s hard work, but it pays off at the end." 

Beginning tomorrow night at 7, the McDevitt spring musical of "The Life and Times of Li’l Abner" will open in the school’s theater. The performance will feature approximately 180 McDevitt students from all grades working on every facet of the show, from sound, lighting and set design to acting, singing and dancing.  "It’s a bit crazy with so many of us, but we were able to come together as a school community to make it happen," said eighth-grader Billy Turpin. 

The musical is based on the Li’l Abner comic strip and is set in Dogpatch, USA, a fictitious rural community. Eighth-grader Olivia Creonte said the musical involves a country boy, Li’l Abner, who is the object of a country girl’s affection, and she wants to marry him. Unfortunately, she said another gentleman, named Earthquake, is interested in courting her character, Daisy. In all, students involved said the performance has romance, drama, action, music and much more.  "My sister did the musical when she was at McDevitt, and she told me what a fun experience it is," said sixth-grader Matt Engel. "It’s also a great extracurricular activity."  The students’ touch in decorating the theater for the musical was also clearly evident. On various walls throughout, Grant Wood’s famous 1930s painting "American Gothic," was on display. The twist was that instead of the traditional country couple’s faces, the images of McDevitt’s administrators and teachers were added 

Students held their final dress rehearsal for the musical yesterday afternoon, and the show’s director and Waltham High drama teacher Bob Dacey provided some pointers to ensure everything goes smoothly.  "Pay attention to your classmates because you want to extend the same courtesy they give you," he said. "You need to take care of each other to make this work."  McDevitt principal Brad Morgan praised students for their hard work and devotion. A few weeks ago, he said students held a dance marathon on a Saturday night as a fund-raiser and took in more than $1,6000.  Morgan also credited Dacey for his hard work in organizing the show.  "He goes above and beyond," said Morgan of Dacey. "It’s incredible to see the number of kids he gets involved, and they all have a ball."  All of the students involved said they were excited for the opening of " Li’l Abner."

Like Colon, many said the musical simply provided them with an opportunity to perform.  "I love to dance, so I thought it would be really fun," said eighth-grader Amanda Poirier. "But I really wanted to be on stage."   "The Life and Times of Li’l Abner opens tonight in McDevitt’s theater at 7. Performances will also be held on Friday and Saturday evenings, both at 7.

Same old ’do for McDevitt principal
By Peter Reuell, published in The Daily News Tribune, March 8, 2006
John J. Crookes photo
Brad Morgan may get to keep his hair after all.  Morgan, the first-year principal of McDevitt Middle School, agreed to shave his head if his students were able to raise $20,000 as part of a fund-raiser to help pay for field trips and class outings.  With the fund-raiser ending Thursday, he said yesterday it appeared students would come in under the mark.  While he expressed relief at not losing his locks, Morgan said he would gladly do the deed if students are able to orchestrate a last-minute push. 

"Every year, the PTO will try to organize a fund-raiser, and the money can be used to pay for things like field trips, class trips, in-school presentations and things of that sort," he said. "I believe the main goal is to pay for some field trips, but also the sixth grade does a class trip to Canobie Lake Park every year, which can be a little costly." 

Originally, the goal was to raise about $14,000. When he upped the ante to $20,000, Morgan came up with the head-shaving stunt.  "It would be unbelievable if the kids were able to raise that much money," PTO head Ann Marie Brophy said yesterday.  Unfortunately, it seems unlikely they’ll get there.  "Every little bit helps," Brophy said. "(But) the participation is usually about 20 percent, if that. But it would be nice if we could have one major fund-raiser, so we wouldn’t have to bother parents throughout the year."  Originally, Morgan said, he suggested shaving his head in jest.  "I said, jokingly, ’If I can do anything that can help the kids raise they money, I’ll do it,’" he recalled. "Half-joking, I said...I’ll shave my head bald.  "I said it kind of tongue in cheek, but she (Brophy) was all over it."

Beginning a new life in Korea on tide of goodwill from Waltham
Mother's death left three children without relatives in US
by Christina Pazzanese, published in The Boston Globe, February 23, 2006
Three Waltham children whose mother died in a car crash 17 days ago have begun a new life in Korea, while people in Massachusetts who have read about their plight are still donating money to help them out.  The Lee children flew to Seoul last Thursday after the Korean Society of New England collected donations to pay for their $3,000 airfare.  The children's mother, Young Mi Lee, 44, was killed Feb. 6 in an accident on Nonantum Road in Watertown. Her boyfriend, Hyong Kim, 49, a passsenger in her minivan, also was killed when it rolled over.  Lee's death left Peter, 10, Sophia, 12, and Alana, 14, without any relatives in the United States and without any money.  Their father, who is remarried and has other children, lives in South Korea. An aunt from Korea flew to Boston and then took them back to her home.

In a conversation last weekend with a family friend, Vareeya Viyaran, Alana said she and her siblings plan to move in with their father. The family had moved to New York from South Korea five years ago and to Waltham about three months ago.  Viyaran, who owns two Waltham restaurants, Tom Can Cook and Erawan of Siam, has been helping to raise money for the Lees. She said she had been inundated with calls and e-mails from people wanting to help the children.  Some offered to donate airline tickets or money; others sought to connect the family with their own relatives living in Korea. One woman asked about adopting the children.  As of Tuesday, $3,600 had been donated to a special bank account Viyaran had set up at a Sovereign Bank branch on Moody Street in Waltham.  Donations that have been delivered to other Sovereign branches and pledges have yet to be tabulated.  As of last week, the Korean Society had raised another $5,000 through word of mouth, said its president, Young Cho, adding that its goal is to raise $20,000.  Diane Thompson, whose daughter was friendly with Sophia Lee at the McDevitt Middle School, said she hoped the school or the Parent Teacher Organization would organize a fund-raiser to help the Lees. She said her daughter had collected $72. 

Lee was not a US citizen, complicating efforts to collect Social Security benefits for the children, Viyaran said. A lawyer and a Brighton insurance broker have volunteered to look into the status of Lee's insurance, she said.  Now that the children have returned to Korea, the money collected for them will be used to help defray the cost of their mother's funeral and to support them.  Kim, a widower whose wife died last year, leaves four children, ages 16 to 23.  The oldest, who lives in Las Vegas, said he and his brother, a student at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, plan to sell their father's business, the Home Town restaurant in Allston.  The two younger children moved to Sacramento this week to live with relatives.

Donations to the children may be made at any Sovereign Bank to the account named the Lee Family Children's Fund. Donations also may be sent to the Lee Family Children's Fund, PO Box 540447, Waltham 02454.

Students pinch pennies for cancer research
By Jennifer Roy, published in The Daily News Tribune, February 20, 2006
John J. Crookes photo of Mrs. Jensen’s room 126 class posing by a bulletin board that displays the names of Pennies for Patients donors.
When a young McDevitt Middle School student named Mindy was diagnosed with leukemia last year, the last thing anyone wanted to do was stand idly by and watch as she underwent painful treatments.  They wanted to help. 

School nurse Barbara Silva and guidance counselor Mary Beth Mont, decided to join the National Leukemia/Lymphoma Society’s Pennies for Patients campaign.  From Feb. 1 to Feb. 16, students brought in their loose change and checks and raised $1,950 for the Massachusetts chapter of the society, Silva said.  "It was a very successful campaign," she said. "In that short period of time, we thought it was a phenomenal amount of money."  She said a sixth-grade classroom raised the most -- $314 -- and won a pizza party courtesy of the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society.  The school will also receive a $150 gift certificate to Amazon.com, Silva said.  "It was excellent," she said of the students’ fund-raising efforts.

Stacy Parr, a campaign coordinator for the Massachusetts Chapter of the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society, said the Pennies for Patients program began in 1994 and raised more than $360,000 last year.  This year’s goal is about $500,000, she said.  To date, the chapter, which also includes Maine and New Hampshire, has received more than $30,000, according to Parr.  "We have a lot of schools who are loyal and do it year after year," she said.  This year was the first Pennies for Patients campaign for McDevitt, Silva said.  She said she donated the money to the society at several different Coinstar machines throughout the city.  Coinstar has partnered with the society to make donating easier for teachers, Parr said.  She said the company takes a lesser percentage of money that is being donated to charity than it would if someone was simply cashing in their change.  Coinstar prints a receipt, which the teacher sends to the society. At the end of each month, Coinstar sends the society a check, said Parr.

Middle school does a trial run of crisis plan
By Carrie Simmons , published in The Daily News Tribune, February 20, 2006
John J. Crookes photo
A month after one of the city’s elementary schools had to be evacuated, McDevitt Middle School had a chance to practice its crisis plan.  Just after 9 a.m. Friday, students were asked to evacuate the Church Street building. "We’re just doing a dry run so that if and when we need to do it, the kids are prepared," said Principal Brad Morgan. 

Students and staff filed out of the building through various exits in complete silence and the building was empty in less than five minutes. Police officers blocked intersections so children could cross streets safely as they walked to the school’s off-site location.  Once teachers took attendance and indicated all students were accounted for by holding green cards, they orderly walked back to the school - again in silence - and resumed classes.   "I’ve been in four districts and these are the most amazing kids in a fire drill or an evacuation drill," said Morgan. 

Stanley Elementary School was evacuated Jan. 18 after Brandeis University Police received an anonymous terrorist threat against a building on campus, less than a half-mile from the elementary school.  The evacuation was the first real test of school crisis plans which were developed in February 2002.  Stanley parents were notified through the parent call system that students who walk to school, are picked up by their parents or participate in after-school programs would be bused to Waltham High School.  Students who normally ride buses to and from school were brought home but not all parents had sufficient time to get home before students arrived and some received calls at home but were at work.  Safety Officer Ann Frassica said school crisis teams are modifying their plans so that when an evacuation is ordered, all students whether walked or bused will be taken to one off-site location.  No students will be sent home.  "It should not be interpreted as an early dismissal," said Frassica. "It is an evacuation."  Depending on the situation, students could be picked up by parents or return to the school. 

Waltham Public Schools has been conducting evacuation drills with the help of the Police Department since last year. School staff and police will conduct drills at the remaining four schools. Later this year, the Police Department will reach out to private schools like Our Lady’s, Gann Academy and Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall.  "It is always a work in progress," said Frassica. "The Stanley school was a good example for us to make adjustments. We learn from mistakes that happen. The mistakes that occurred, I don’t see that they are not resolvable. I think they are all resolvable." 

Superintendent Susan Parrella said emergency cards are being modified so there is a first and second number to call in case of emergency. The second phone number would not be a home number.  "The emergency card does have home and that may not be the first number parents want us to call," said Parrella.  Schools are also working to edit their databases for the parent call system. After the evacuation of Stanley, administrators discovered that if parentheses were entered around area codes, the system would not recognize the number.

Kids given crash course in Internet safety
By Carrie Simmons, published in The Daily News Tribune, February 20, 2006
WALTHAM - Given the growing number of reports linking sexual assaults on children with online encounters, schools are stepping up efforts to make students and parents aware of the dangers of revealing personal information on the Internet.  McDevitt Middle School Resource Officer Kevin Devoe recently discovered that many of the school’s students have profiles on MySpace.com, a free social networking Web site that is growing in popularity with middle school and high school students.  "MySpace is pretty popular now at the middle school level," said Principal Brad Morgan. "Some of the pictures that we have found on there of our students have not been something you want on the Internet."  Some students had posted pictures of themselves in provocative poses or clothing, Morgan said, and he is reaching out to parents - through phone calls and his newsletter - to make sure they are aware of the Web sites that their children are visiting and posting information about themselves.

More than 780 children were abducted last year by someone they met online, according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.  Katie LeClerc, the internet safety coordinator for Attorney General Tom Reilly’s office, told McDevitt students Friday that the actual number is higher because many incidents go unreported.  "This is an extremely serious type of crime. You guys are the number one target," she told students.  LeClerc showed students a number of online profiles including that of a 25-year-old man from Phoenix who said he likes poetry, watching movies by the fire and was looking for a girlfriend on MySpace.  "Danny" is really a 32-year-old Level 3 sex offender in Arizona who raped two children, LeClerc said.  "Danny is on MySpace looking at all your profiles," she told them. "Anything that you have online is up for grabs. Keep your information off-line."  LeClerc advised students to keep personal information including names, ages, gender, school names, email addresses, photos and even sports teams private.

Even though children under the age of 14 are not supposed to use MySpace, at least two-thirds of McDevitt students in one of the two assemblies Friday indicated that they have profiles on MySpace, a virtual hangout with 56 million members.  Anyone including cyber predators can access MySpace profiles, searching the network by location or interests. Even if students indicate that they would like to keep their profiles private to just their friends, if someone searches for their name, their picture and a blurb of information will appear on the screen.  LeClerc also showed them the America Online Instant Messenger profile of a girl she knew that included "Class of ’07," "go JV soccer," "luv all my Raider girls" as well as her school’s colors.  From that information, any of the 40 million AIM members including cyber predators could figure out her age and school, and probably find her soccer game schedule. One such man did that and showed up at a young girl’s game and was intending to abduct her, LeClerc said.  Cyber predators will pretend to be teenagers and know more about adolescents than one might think, she said. Police found teen magazines, Sports Illustrated for Kids and sociology and psychology books in the house of a 55-year-old man who was communicating with a 14-year-old boy, she said.  "These guys are very smart," LeClerc said.

McDevitt School identifies security improvement
By Carrie Simmons , published in The Daily News Tribune, February 1, 2006
McDevitt Middle School rang in the New Year with a new approach to identification.  McDevitt faculty began wearing photo-identification badges this month to better monitor adult traffic in the building and make the school more user friendly, according to Principal Brad Morgan.  Visitors, volunteers and substitute teachers are also required to wear badges on color-coded lanyards.

"In this day and age I don’t think you can ever be too safe or too cautious when you are responsible for the safety of 600 kids," Morgan said. "If there is an adult walking in the building, it allows them (staff and students) to see if it is someone who has checked in at the main office."  Morgan said the location of the office makes it difficult for secretaries to make sure visitors sign in as such after they enter the building. And while there are several directional signs, some bypass the office and head directly to classrooms or other parts of the building.  All adults in the building are asked to wear a badge -- either around their necks on a lanyard or clipped to their clothing -- whether they are in the school for a meeting or to volunteer in places like the media center.

Faculty members at McDevitt -- the first school in the district to use badges -- have been asked to report adults who are not wearing a school ID.  "There are parents that will go directly to classes especially when school is being let out," Morgan said. "You never know what another adult’s history is.  I think it gives you an extra layer of safety."

The use of IDs was raised by Morgan’s faculty leadership team and the principal left the decision up to teachers, who unanimously supported the idea, he said.  Hockmeyer O’Connor Studios, the company that McDevitt uses for school photographs, provides the staff, substitute, visitor and volunteer badges at no cost as a courtesy.  While the badges strengthen security Morgan said they also add an element of professionalism and make the school more user friendly.  "Almost all professional businesses have their employees wear ID badges now," said Morgan. "It also allows kids to be able to put a face with a name of a teacher who they may not have."  The badges also allow students to address teachers by name when asking questions in the hallway or the cafeteria.  Students also become familiar with seventh or eighth grade faculty before they reach those grades.

The identification system has been helpful for substitute teachers, Morgan said, because they know who they should approach with questions.  "The ID badges tell you this is someone who works in the building," he said. "It is not a parent, a volunteer or another substitute."  A number of districts like Chelmsford and Marblehead, where Morgan used to work, also require badges, while other districts like Andover use them in some schools.  Other schools in Waltham are considering photo-identification badges, according to Assistant Superintendent Emile Rosenberg. Although each school chooses its own photography company, many provide the badges for free, he said.  Waltham High Principal John Graceffa said his staff has talked about using identification badges in the past and used them when the accreditation team from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges visited in October.  "We need to see what the value is or isn’t," he said.

The following stories were inexplicably overlooked by the Daily News Tribune!!!!!!

Incoming Principal Morgan institutes strict new facial hair policy
Waltham - October 2005
Photo from the Waltham Educators Association page of the MTA web site
Things got hairy at McDevitt Middle School  as new principal Brad Morgan instituted a strict new staff facial hair policy. 

All staff members will now sport goatees.  At this time the student body is not required to abide by the new policy, but it is under consideration.

Retiring Principal MacDonald says goodbye!
Waltham - June 2005
Daily News Tribune file photo
Retiring McDevitt School Principal Norman MacDonald said a special goodbye to his school by climbing up to the old attic of the Waltham High School part of the building and spray-painting a graffiti farewell message. 

The photo at left shows Mr. MacDonald admiring his spray-painting technique. 

Good Luck Mr. MacDonald.