Director's Welcome

August 6, 2008

Dear Visitor,

Welcome to the Melrose Public Schools Curriculum Information Site. The primary purpose of this site is to communicate curriculum information to administrators, teachers, parents, and students for the purpose of improving instruction and increasing student achievement. As many of you know, our district-wide website is in the process of being redesigned. We will use this opportunity to expand the Curriculum Information Site. The vision is that our section of the website will include:

• Pre-K-12 benchmark information
• Assessment information
• Curriculum mapping information
• A parent/teacher resource area
• A section devoted to communication about new district-wide curriculum-related initiatives
• A section devoted to Curriculum Review Council information.

We currently have online Pre-K through Grade 12 benchmarks for the following content areas: Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Technology/Engineering, History and Social Science, Foreign Language, Instructional Technology, and Information Fluency. You may view these by clicking on the appropriate content area listed under "Benchmarks" in the navigational sidebar of this website. These benchmarks were created with teacher and administrator input. We also utilized information from experts in the field and from the Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education's Frameworks. Art, Music, and PE/Health information will be added in the Fall. A benchmark is "...an observable, measurable skill/behavior that is expected at a particular grade level." As we add information related to the above bulleted list, you will see additional navigational sidebars that you can click on to gain access to the information.

Our curriculum forms the foundation upon which we build a multitude of interactions related to your child's healthy growth and development. We believe in its importance. We also firmly believe in the importance of communicating information about it to all of its stakeholders.

Feel free to call me at 781-979-2166 with any questions or input you may have as we post our information online.

Sincerely,

Patricia Muxie
Curriculum Director