12/14/2001

Thomas Edison Middle School

Ten years ago, Meriden's dream was to build a state-of-the-art, regional, magnet middle school, with math, science and technology as its theme. That dream became a reality in the fall of 2001 when the Thomas Edison Middle School opened its doors to more than 700 students from Meriden, Middletown, Madison and Durham-Middlefield (Region 13). My impression after spending a morning at Thomas Edison is that the reality of this school will far surpass everyone's dreams.

Everything about this educational environment is positively electric. From the leadership of Principal Bonnie Rabe to the carefully selected staff. From the cutting-edge curriculum to the student "ambassadors" proudly guiding visitors. From the magnificent edifice itself with its high ceilings and natural light to the flexibility built in everywhere. You will come away wishing you could return as a student or teacher yourself.

"Thomas Edison represents the best efforts of the community to address diversity issues," says Beth Ruocco, superintendent of the Meriden Public Schools. "Partnering with other towns is a groundbreaking opportunity. The unique and extremely well-developed curriculum integrates technology with all subject areas. Bonnie Rabe, with her background as a science teacher and her boundless energy, is a perfect leader for the building. This is an extraordinary happening."

Teacher interviews began a year before the school opened and attracted applications from throughout the United States. The result is a staff with great diversity. Approximately a third are new to teaching and a third are veteran teachers. The remaining third changed careers from engineering, accounting, insurance, chemistry, journalism, the army and other professions.

"Our curriculum is 6 years in the making," says Bonnie Rabe, the principal at Thomas Edison. "The director of program development at ACES, which is the regional educational service center that oversees this school, hired several teachers to begin work on developing science units that are interdisciplinary and theme-based."

For example, one of the units developed for the 7th grade is called "The Big Spill" and is built around an imagined environmental accident: a collision between a train and a truck carrying corrosive materials that spill into the water supply. Teachers in every discipline help students analyze the consequences of the pollution through science labs, mock town meetings in social studies, reading and writing in language arts and study of absorption rates and porosity in mathematics. Teachers of the creative arts—health, art, music, computers and technology—also build lessons around each unit.

Two summers before Thomas Edison opened, Principal Rabe led curriculum development institutes to shape curriculum units into cross-disciplinary tools that effectively integrate all subject areas. Teachers from each of the academic and creative arts disciplines participated. Continuous rewriting and new development will occur throughout the coming years as teachers refine the curriculum and write new units.

Principal Rabe's primary goals for the first year are:

• to provide technology education to all teachers so they know how to use their laptop computers and can apply those skills to planning and instruction
• to teach teachers how to provide differentiated instruction in heterogeneous classes, in which students of varying abilities learn successfully

Several 8th grade students met with me to talk about their early reactions to life and learning at Thomas Edison.

"When I grow up I want to be a vet," says Megan Lutle, from Meriden. "Considering that this school has a math, science and technology-based curriculum, it was too good to pass up. I think I'm going to have a lot of fun at this school."

Tyler Disbrow, from Middlefield, adds, "this school is awesome. It has everything my other school did not have, like air conditioning and lots of windows. I learned at my old school, but it didn't have as much to offer."

"Since I've been here, I have so much fun learning," says Vaneza Rosa, a Meriden resident. "The teachers let us have choices in what we do so that lets us have more freedom."

"I decided to come to the magnet school because the curriculum is new and unique," says Caitlyn Knoll, an 8th grader from Middletown. "It is hard to choose, but I think my favorite thing about this school is its diversity."

When talking about sports at their new school, the students described some of the cooperative games they play in physical education classes. The sports program is not based on competition; every student who wants to play can play.

School counselors, Brian Bannon and Steve Makein chose Thomas Edison for its commitment to outreach. Counselors team-teach with classroom teachers to help prevent social, emotional and health problems.

"By getting out into the classrooms, we get to know the students, who are then more likely to seek us out when they are upset or worried about something," Makein commented.

"This staff has great depth of character and life experience," says Mark Alexander, a science teacher and team leader for grade 6. "Each of us is recognized as an expert in our fields. We are steadily acquiring knowledge about the different ways that students learn. It's exciting to be a part of such a new adventure in education."

Teachers at Thomas Edison see themselves as facilitators of student learning. "The greatest gift I can give to students is a "tool box" of skills to manage successfully in a technologically advanced world," says Jennifer Slifer, language arts teacher for grade 6.

"I am interested in getting middle school students interested in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) computer programs," says Pam Benn, 6th grade geography teacher. "A dynamic principal and student attendance from all over the region enticed me to teach here."

Each day at Thomas Edison begins with "morning meeting," comprised of four or five students from each grade level. The purpose of this meeting is to build relationships among students and teachers from different grades, backgrounds and sections of the school. Students remain in the same "morning meeting" throughout their years at the school, thus forming a mini-family, where they can share ideas freely and feel relaxed and accepted.

Mike Olson, a first-year math teacher for the 6th grade level, says, "I really feel at home here. My family has grown by 700+ overnight!"

Special education students participate in regular classes to the best of their ability, based on an administrative commitment to the model of inclusion for all students. For example, a student with special needs showed strong ability in Spanish class, giving her a great sense of pride and connection to her classmates, who responded in kind.

"We have to make sure we find an educational fit for each child," says Principal Rabe. "In our school we strive to see every child blossom."

A soft bubbling sound draws the eye to a small fountain on the principal's desk. The fountain glows from an interior light that shines through a nest of jagged crystals holding a deep blue sphere that turns slowly in the water's stream. I think it is an apt symbol for Thomas Edison Middle School, where original ideas bubble up from the depths of curious minds, ideas that might be jagged at first, but are gradually worn smooth against the peaks and valleys of experience to shine into the future.

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Please send questions or comments to bbruno@snet.net.