NELMS STAFF ........................................................................................................................... 3 O icers & Board of Directors ..................................................................................................... 4 Schedule & Special Events ........................................................................................................ 5 Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................. 6 Certificate of Attendance Information ....................................................................................... 7 Graduate Credits ...................................................................................................................... 7 General Information.................................................................................................................. 8 Key for Symbols ........................................................................................................................ 9 Conference Strands ................................................................................................................ 10 “Do You Have A Frog in Your Pocket?” Rules ............................................................................. 11 Monday, March 24, 2025 .................................................................................................... 12 General Session and Keynote .................................................................................................. 12 Conference Planner ................................................................................................................ 13 Session I – Concurrent Workshop – 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM ......................................................... 14 Session II – Concurrent Workshops – 11:10 AM – 12:10 PM ....................................................... 17 Luncheon Keynote Session ..................................................................................................... 20 Session III – Concurrent Workshops – 1:40 PM – 2:40 PM .......................................................... 22 Session IV – Concurrent Workshops – 2:50 PM – 3:50 PM.......................................................... 26 50th Anniversary Party – 5:30 PM – 9:30 PM .............................................................................. 29 Tuesday, March 25, 2025 ................................................................................................... 30 General Session and Keynote .................................................................................................. 30 Conference Planner ................................................................................................................ 31 Session V – Concurrent Workshops – 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM ....................................................... 32 Session VI – Concurrent Workshops – 11:10 AM – 12:10 PM ...................................................... 35 Luncheon Keynote Session ..................................................................................................... 37 Session VII – Closing Session – 1:35 PM – 2:30 PM .................................................................... 39 Additional Information...................................................................................................... 40 Daily Grid - Monday, March 24, 2025 (Sessions I & II) ................................................................ 40 Daily Grid - Monday, March 24, 2025 (Session III & IV) ............................................................... 41 Daily Grid - Tuesday, March 25, 2025 ....................................................................................... 42 Exhibitor Guide ....................................................................................................................... 43 Exhibitor Layout...................................................................................................................... 50 Hotel Map .............................................................................................................................. 51 Certificate of Attendance ........................................................................................................ 54 2
Je Rodman Executive Director Dr. Timothy Allen Assistant Executive Director Marita Lanzilotta Business Practices Coordinator Karin Wilmarth Events Coordinator New England League of Middle Schools PO Box 887, Georgetown, MA 01833-0887 (877) 402-7627 Email: nelms@nelms.org Web: www.nelms.org Our Mission New England League of Middle Schools are leaders in promoting middle level best practices by providing collaborative learning experiences that support students’ intellectual, academic, social, and emotional growth and success. 3
July 2024 – June 2025 Board Chair Board Chair – Dr. Peter Gillen, West Springfield Middle School, West Springfield Past Co-Board Chairs – Chris Pollet, Stratham, NH & Jessica Kennedy, East Granby, CT Connecticut CT-North CT-East CT-South Timothy F. Phelan, East Granby Middle School, East Granby Jessica Hanover, Old Saybrook Middle School, Old Saybrook Dulcey Worth, James H. Moran Middle School, Wallingford ME-North ME-South Melanie Brown, Ellsworth Elementary Middle School, Ellsworth Jana Mates, Tripp Middle School, Turner Maine Massachusetts MA-North MA-South MA-Central MA-West Michael McLaughlin, Austin Preparatory School, Reading David Mather, Keith Middle School, New Bedford Dr. Elizabeth A. Schaper, Je erson, MA Natalie Ojunga-Andrew, Birchland Park Middle School, East Longmeadow New Hampshire NH-North NH-South Robert Gri in, Haverhill Cooperative Middle School, North Haverhill Aram Zakiam, Cooperative Middle School, Stratham RI VACANT Rhode Island Vermont VT-North VT-South Dr. Dave F. Brown, Essex Junction VACANT Middle Level Educator Representative Advisors to the Board William Ivey William Wilson1 Robin Wilson Jake Sumner Margie Clyde, M.Ed., Scituate Middle School, N Scituate, RI Professor Representative Dr. Brooke Eisenbach, Lesley University, Cambridge, MA School Assessment Coordinator Business Representative Spotlight School Coordinator William Downey Dr. Timothy Allen Michael Brownstein, Arlington, MA 4
Sunday, March 23rd 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM Monday, March 24th 7:30 AM – 3:00 PM 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM 9:30 AM – 10:00 AM 9:30 AM – 10:00 AM 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM 11:10 AM – 12:10 PM 12:10 PM - 1:30 PM 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM 1:40 PM – 2:40 PM 2:50 PM – 3:20 PM 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM 5:30 PM – 9:30 PM Tuesday, March 25th 7:30 AM – 12:30 PM 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM 9:30 AM – 10:00 AM 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM 11:10 AM – 12:10 PM 12:10 PM - 1:30 PM 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM 1:35 PM – 2:30 PM Pre-registration, 2nd Floor Foyer Welcome/Award Reception, Mahogany Room Registration, 2nd Floor Foyer General Session and Keynote: “Creating Culturally Proficient Educators” with Dr. Kalise Wornum Bookstore/Exhibit Hours Co ee Break with our Exhibitors sponsored by American College of Education Graduate Credit Meeting Concurrent Sessions I Concurrent Sessions II Visit Exhibitors and Lunch (Lunch Pickup on 3rd Floor Ballroom Foyer) Luncheon Keynote: “The Struggle is Real: But it Doesn’t Have to be so Hard” with Molly Kennedy Concurrent Sessions III Ice Cream Social/Meet & Greet with Exhibitors Concurrent Sessions IV NELMS 50th Anniversary Party at the White Lion Brewing Company Registration, 2nd Floor Foyer Bookstore/Exhibit Hours General Session and Keynote: “The Literacy Lessons I Learned from ”Hamilton” with Penny Kittle Co ee Break with our Exhibitors sponsored by Milton Hershey School Concurrent Sessions V Concurrent Sessions VI Visit Exhibits and Lunch (Pickup on 3rd Floor Ballroom Foyer) Luncheon Keynote: “Be The ONE, Surviving & Thriving: Be the ONE that everyone wants to work with at school, at your business, and more.” with Andrew Marotta Closing Session: “Ignitors: Fast-Paced Strategies for Transforming Education” NELMS reserves the right to make changes to this program as deemed necessary. 5
The New England League of Middle Schools wants to join with our friends and colleagues in thanking the following for their partnership. Annual Conference Partners Lifetouch – O icial Conference Photographer Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream – Ice Cream Social American College of Education – Monday Co ee Break Milton Hershey School – Tuesday Co ee Break Wolfe Adventure & Tours – 50th Anniversary Rise North Capital Hot Table, LLC MassMutual Financial Group Special Thank You A special THANK YOU to Karin Wilmarth for helping with the program book. Many thanks to our exhibitors The New England League of Middle Schools would like to thank the educators, facilitators, college, and middle school students, and all who enriched and supported this year’s conference. Academic Leadership Association Outdoor Classroom ALRANBooks Rise North Capital American International College Savvas Learning Company cor creative partners Southern New Hampshire University DesignMy Education SPN Tours Enriching Students Springfield College Grand Classroom Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream Great Minds The Browne Center for Innovative Learning Blade Learning Lifetouch Virtual Enterprises International (VEI) Merrimack College William Howard Taft University Milton Hershey School Wilson Language Training Nature's Classroom, Inc. Wolfe Adventures & Tours We appreciate our business partners! Special Olympics New Hampshire To become a NELMS business partner please visit email us at nelms@nelms.org. 6
Please see page 54 for the Certificate of Attendance. The Certificate of Attendance and the Daily Conference Planner pages are proof of the number of hours earned at the conference. Use the Conference Planner pages at the beginning of each day to track the sessions you attend. KEEP your Program Book. Graduate Credits Graduate Credits are available to attendees, through Southern New Hampshire University, Hooksett, New Hampshire. Registration will open on May 1, 2025. If you have questions, there is a meeting scheduled for Monday, March 24, 2025 from 9:30 to 10:00 AM in the Executive Boardroom right after the General Session. Special thanks to our national & state middle level organizations. Association for Middle Level Education Stephanie Simpson, Chief Executive O icer Katie Powell, Director for Middle Level Programs Connecticut Association of Schools Dr. Glenn Lungarini, Executive Director Commonwealth of Massachusetts Middle Level Educators Maine Association for Middle Level Education Dr. Ekaterina “Katie” Rybakova, Executive Director The New Hampshire Association for Middle Level Education Rhode Island Middle Level Educators Patricia Marcotte, Executive Director Vermont Association for Middle Level Education Dave F. Brown, Ed.D., Executive Director 7
CHANGES TO PROGRAM/CONFERENCE APP NELMS reserves the right to change the program as deemed necessary. Changes may have occurred since the publication of the Program Book. NELMS will be using the SCHED app to make any changes, additions, or deletions to the program. Please make sure to download the app to get the latest information. NAME BADGES/LUNCH TICKETS All registered attendees will receive a name badge at registration. This badge is not transferable. NELMS conference badges must always be worn as a courtesy to other delegates, for security purposes, and as an indication that you are registered. Please wear the badge for all conference functions. Tickets for your lunch options will be provided to you at registration as part of your name badge. Please keep these tickets safe as duplicates will not be available if lost. BOOKSTORE Please visit the tables for ALRANBooks who will be hosting a bookstore during the conference on the 3rd floor Foyer. Publications written by our Keynote Presenters are available for purchase. The bookstore will be open during the Exhibit Hours. EXHIBITS Enjoy a Co ee Break with the Exhibitors each day! Commercial exhibits of books, instructional aids, and other products will be displayed during the conference. NELMS urges attendees to schedule time to visit exhibitors and thank them for their support of middle level education. The Exhibitor Guide is available as part of this program book. Exhibit hall hours are: Monday, March 25th from 9:30 AM–4:30 PM Tuesday, March 26th from 8:00 AM–2:00 PM Commercial solicitation is prohibited in all conference sessions. Solicitation of business within the Exhibit areas by any person other than exhibitors is strictly prohibited. Please report any violations to a NELMS representative. The presence of exhibitors who have purchased exhibit space does not imply endorsement by NELMS for any product or service displayed. *** Exhibitor Guide starts on Page 43 and Exhibitor Layout is on Page 50. *** NELMS 50th ANNIVERSARY PARTY DON’T MISS THIS EVENT! NELMS has made arrangements with the White Lion Brewing Company to be open for conference attendees from 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM for a special event! Come join us before dinner, after dinner, or for dinner! A special thank you to Wolfe Adventures & Tours for their support of this event. BE SURE TO Visit the Exhibits Attend the General Sessions each day starting promptly at the designated times, in the Grand Ballroom. Visit the Bookstore 8
Session participants are asked to remain seated until the session concludes. Early departures disturb closing remarks and announcements considered important to other attendees. CELL PHONES We ask that all attendees be respectful to the presenters and fellow attendees by turning your cell phone silent during all sessions. LOST AND FOUND NELMS registration is the center for any lost or found articles. SECURITY TIPS FOR PARTICIPANTS Be observant. Don’t venture into large parking lots or darkened areas alone. Report any suspicious activity to security. Don’t display large amounts of cash or leave luggage unattended. Use dead bolts, or auxiliary locks provided on the hotel room door while you are in your room. Use the hotel vault/safe, if available. Do not leave valuables in your room. Key for Symbols 9
Fleepit Digital © 2021