This fall, under the guidance of Principal Jamie Sokolowski, NPS educators Kelly Garbarino and Jacquie Rouseau launched a professional learning course for teachers to learn more about the Harvard's Project Zero Playful Learning project. Educators in grades PK-5 have been using the anchor text A Pedagogy of Play to explore the guiding principles and create playful lessons within their classrooms.

In addition, the Bresnahan faculty participated in a Playful Learning workshop with DESE consultants this fall. This work was so well received, NPS decided to apply for a competitive DESE grant. The grant requires a team that includes two grade level teachers from each grade (PK-3), ESL, special education, and administration. Thanks to the work of Principal Sokolowski and her team, NPS was awarded a $175K grant tin January!

Over the next 18 months, Jamie Sokolowski and the team will work directly with DESE Playful Learning coaches to deepen their understanding of the instructional strategies and to develop playful lessons at every grade level (PK-3). In addition, we will have an external evaluator who will help us understand how the work is impacting student growth.

As you might imagine, a playful pedagogy fits well with our Portrait of a Graduate work. It will be exciting to see how our educators use the grant support to impact student experiences and academic achievement.