Cox Celebrates “Heroes of Distance Learning” with $1,000 Home Technology Makeovers for Teachers
Local educators nominated by parents, principals and peers for creating cutting-edge curriculums while teaching from a distance
WEST WARWICK – (June 4, 2020) – As educators have migrated to uncharted waters with the transition to distance learning, many have emerged as heroes to the students and families depending on them to keep their school work on track. Cox Communications asked members of the community and school departments which teachers were truly excelling in this challenging environment in order to reward educators with a $1,000 home technology makeover for their virtual classrooms.
The request for recommendations led to a surge of nominees. With no shortage of deserving candidates for the technology makeover, Cox quickly expanded the campaign to recognize three teachers in Rhode Island with $1,000 awards. With the expanded program made more challenging every day as new submissions rolled in, Cox enlisted the help of the Rhode Island Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green to pick the winners.
After considering close to 100 nominations, educators from schools in North Providence, Newport, and Cumberland were chosen as the recipients of the $1,000 technology makeovers. The winners include: Marissa Bianco, grade 1 teacher, McGuire Elementary School (North Providence); Michael Carlino, math teacher, Rogers High School (Newport); and Paula MacMillin, grade 4 teacher, Cumberland Hill Elementary School (Cumberland).
“Teachers across Rhode Island have risen to the challenge of making school happen for all our students during this unprecedented public health crisis,” said Angélica Infante-Green, Rhode Island Education Commissioner. “As a result of the efforts of our educators, our state is now a national leader in distance learning. These nominations provided wonderful examples of what we have seen over the last few months, and we are incredibly grateful to Cox for launching this campaign in their honor.”
The nominations were packed with colorful anecdotes showing there is no limit to the creativity of teachers across the Ocean State. From using every technology tool at their disposal in the Google Suite platform to scheduling personal time to chat with their students about anything other than schoolwork to using fun props like pets and stuffed animals to make lessons more engaging, the recognized educators clearly demonstrate that their love of teaching knows no bounds – or limits, even in the face of a pandemic.
“I’ve said it before and I will say it again: teachers were forced to change the tires on a moving vehicle when the pandemic swept through our country,” said Jay Allbaugh, senior vice president and region manager, Cox Communications. “To see them not only keep their coursework on track but find ways to extract even more creativity and joy from students attending school for the first time in a virtual setting is just tremendous, and we are thrilled to recognize these teachers with the virtual classroom of their dreams.” … Read More...
Superintendent Robert Mitchell is pleased to announce Cumberland’s District Teacher of the
Year – Paula MacMillin. We congratulate Paula on this outstanding achievement. We are very
proud of her commitment and dedication to her school, students and their families. Distance
Learning has brought many new challenges for everyone and Paula has been an asset to her
colleagues given her exceptional technology skills. We are fortunate to have her working in our
school system.
Paula was recognized during the May 14, 2020, Cumberland School Committee meeting. Her
school’s principal, Mrs. Debra Malcolm submitted the following nomination.
It is my honor and privilege to officially nominate Mrs. Paula MacMillin for the 2020 – 2021
Cumberland Teacher of the Year. Paula returned to the Cumberland Hill staff in the fall of 2016
as a fourth grade teacher. This was as she transitioned from her role as a district technology
coach. Paula took on her new role with an open mind as she volunteered to be a member of the
grade 4 ELA district mapping team. Paula served as the ELA liaison for her grade level
colleagues and took on this responsibility with great ease and fidelity. She would share the
information with her grade level colleagues as well as the grade 3 and grade 5 ELA mapping
team members. Paula expressed the importance for her instructional purposes to have a solid
understanding of what students entering the fourth grade were expected to have mastered as
well as what was expected for her students as they transitioned from the fourth grade into the
fifth grade. In addition to her role on the ELA mapping team, Paula is a very talented teacher.
She has a calm, positive demeanor and always supports the social-emotional needs of the
students in her classroom. She has participated in the school’s target team and worked closely
with mental health staff to address unique individual emotional needs of the students in her
classroom.
Throughout the 2019 – 2020 school year, Paula served as a technology resource for the entire
school staff. She was always willing to support everyone with questions regarding google
classroom, google forms, Kahoot, and creating online tools to support student learning. Paula
also served as a resource and support for whole school assemblies and professional
development days. She took on the responsibility of setting up projectors and amplification
systems for assemblies and professional development opportunities.
As the district and state transitioned to Distance Learning, Paula served as a primary resource
for both the school and district in which she implemented and shared her wealth of knowledge
with technology, resources, and the Google platform. Without being asked, Paula offered and
recorded “how-to” videos and shared them with the district staff. She continues to do this as we
enter our seventh week of distance learning. On Sunday, April 26, she posted an email
providing guidance for using a whiteboard for Google Meets along with a tutorial on Kami
extension with Google Classroom. Paula has served a resource for me as I continue to learn
and navigate the virtual world in order to support the students and staff of Cumberland Hill.
Paula has used much of her personal time answering staff emails, texts, and chats as she
became the “go-to” staff member for many individuals. She is always responsive whether it be
nights or weekends, or as she is juggling motherhood with a toddler.
When I shared that I was nominating Paula MacMillin as the 2020 District Teacher of the Year
with other members of the school staff, there was a unanimous Yes!! Members of the staff
shared how supportive Paula has been prior to and throughout the distance learning
experience. They cited her willingness to call or hold a virtual meeting to assist in step by step
processes for various technology resources. In my opinion Paula MacMillin is the perfect
candidate for the Cumberland School District Teacher of the Year given her ongoing support of
all members of the school district throughout the Distance Learning Experience.
Respectfully submitted,
Debra Malcolm
Principal, JJM Cumberland Hill Elementary… Read More...
Dear Students, Staff, and Families,
I hope this message finds you well during this challenging time. As you know, Governor Raimondo made the decision to keep schools closed for the remainder of the school year. Therefore, we will be continuing with distance learning until the last day of school in June.
Unfortunately, spring athletics and the activities we look forward to at the end of every school year have been profoundly impacted by this pandemic. As the Governor stated, we know this news is disappointing for our students, staff, and families especially for the graduating class of 2020. Under these circumstances, our challenge is to find ways to celebrate the accomplishments of our students in different ways. We will be sharing the end of year plans for graduation, promotion, and other milestones as soon as possible.
In anticipation of the Governor’s decision, we have been planning for the possibility that schools would remain closed. There are several details below which apply to all students:
- The Rhode Island Department of Education expects districts to complete the school year by following the calendar approved by RIDE. Therefore, our last day of school for students PK-11 will be Wednesday, June 10th.
- The spring sports season for middle and high school has been canceled. I know this is particularly disappointing to our student-athletes.
- RIDE has provided a calendar for the remainder of the school year. The calendar is provided below.
- The School Department is developing plans that will allow families an opportunity to safely pick up materials left at school. Our goal is to develop a plan that follows the Governor’s social distancing order. We will share the plan in the coming days.
I know that this is a very difficult time for our seniors, the class of 2020. Although everyone in the school department has been impacted by this pandemic, our graduating seniors and their families have been profoundly impacted. One of life’s major milestones and all of the celebratory activities leading up to graduation are affected. Our goal is to find a meaningful way to celebrate this significant accomplishment.
I want to thank our students, staff, and families for their impressive work over the last five weeks. This has been a learning experience for us all, and I appreciate the feedback you have shared with us at every level. We have learned that the single biggest challenge for families and our staff is balancing their job-related responsibilities and at the same time supporting their children with distance learning. We know that there are students and adults struggling emotionally with the impact this pandemic has had on our lives. Help is available. There are several resources on the Rhode Island Department of Health website: https://health.ri.gov/covid/. Here are resources available to both adults and students:
I will continue to update you as we get new information.
RIDE Calendar for May and June
Sincerely,
Robert A. Mitchell
Superintendent… Read More...
