Blanchard Memorial 

Click here for the Blanchard Memorial School website 

History and Overview 

The public schools of Boxborough once consisted of four one-room schoolhouses. In 1949, Blanchard  Memorial School was built with a gift from Arthur F. Blanchard, a descendant of Boxborough’s  Revolutionary War Minuteman Luther Blanchard. The campus property was donated by the Boxborough Grange. As the town of Boxborough grew, so did Blanchard Memorial School, with renovations and additions in 1959, 1967, 1975, and 1997. Blanchard is now a 75,000 square foot facility with 24 classrooms, dedicated spaces for music and the arts, and a full-size gymnasium with a stage, which is used for concerts, special events, and monthly school-wide community meetings.  The school building is surrounded by hundreds of acres of conservation land, wetlands including a  pond and stream, and several outdoor learning spaces, all of which our students and teachers take advantage of on a regular basis. A walking path leads “over the river and through the woods” to the  Sargent Memorial Library. 

Currently, Blanchard serves approximately 500 students in kindergarten through grade six, with class sizes ranging from 16–24 students. We also house two classrooms from the Carol Huebner Early  Childhood program. Classes in grades K-3 are self-contained, grade 4 team teaches and grades 5 and 6 are departmentalized; students in grades 4-6 rotate to different teachers for English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, and Science. All students attend weekly classes in Art, Music, Library/Technology, and Physical Education/Health. We provide support to students with disabilities and English Learners through co-teaching, inclusion, and dedicated learning center spaces. Additionally, we host a district-wide specialized program called Pathways for students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. 

Our STARR values provide the framework for our school culture. Through a system of positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS), our staff and students work collaboratively to develop a shared language for behaviors that support learning and community building. We use the Responsive  Classroom approach to foster connections within the school and teach social-emotional skills; you will see structures like morning meeting/advisory, quiet time, problem-solving conferences, and closing circle in many classrooms. Restorative Practices inform the way we handle student discipline. We keep relationships, respect for children, and our shared humanity at the center of all decisions. 

The entire school gathers monthly to celebrate and share our learning. These high energy  Community Meetings sometimes include staff and student performances, too! Additionally, each classroom is assigned a class from another grade as their STARR buddy class. They meet monthly to do themed activities and develop a sense of community within the school. 

Curriculum 

Blanchard Memorial School is a learning community where all children are loved, valued, challenged,  and supported. We get to know students’ strengths and interests, then provide them with opportunities to develop autonomy and independence in their learning. Outdoor explorations, small group instruction, and joyful learning structures are hallmarks of our instructional practices at  Blanchard. 

Blanchard's curriculum is aligned to the Common Core Standards, the Massachusetts Curriculum  Frameworks, as well as with district-wide objectives and goals. We strive for balance in all things; while teachers have access to curriculum materials and programs, they also have the autonomy to develop unique learning experiences that meet the needs of their students. Teachers, instructional coaches,  Specialists, interventionists, and administrators meet regularly to discuss student progress, examine trends in student learning, and plan for accommodations, supports, and extensions. 

Math 

All mathematics teaching at Blanchard is rooted in the belief that students should engage in learning experiences that both strengthen their understanding of math concepts and allow them to reason with their ideas. Kindergarten through sixth-grade teachers use the Illustrative Math program for the core of their instruction. All teachers employ a range of instructional tools and strategies including math workshop, three-act tasks, number talks, and enrichment projects. All grade levels provide tiered interventions and supports, based on students’  skills and academic needs. 

Language Arts 

Blanchard Memorial School employs a structured literacy approach to reading and writing. Students engage in all domains of literacy: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Teachers use a range of instructional strategies to instill a lifelong love of reading and writing, which include: reading and writing workshop, guided reading groups, individual reading and writing and conferences, reader's theatre, book clubs, phonics instruction, and word study. 

Instructional resources utilized to teach reading and writing include: 

• Handwriting Without Tears 

• Wilson Fundations 

• Structured Literacy Routines

• Jennifer Seravallo’s Reading and Writing Strategies 

• Daily Five/Cafe 

• Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) 

• Fountas and Pinnell Leveled Literacy Interventions (LLI) 

• Words Their Way Spelling Inventory 

• Dibels Literacy routines for DAZE, ORF, and Progress Monitoring 

MTSS 

To support learning for all students, each classroom dedicates time for small group tiered instruction, extra practice, or extensions using Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). All students participate in MTSS instructional time two to three times per week for about 20-30 minutes in the tiered group that most closely matches their learning needs for the target skill. The tiered groupings in MTSS  represent increasing support and interventions. Students who show proficiency in a grade-level skill participate in tier one instruction, which consists of extension and enrichment. Students in tier two groups receive a review of particular concepts. Tier three instruction is more intensive and targeted and often takes place in a separate classroom space with the support of a reading or math specialist, and in some instances the school counselor. The groupings of students are designed to be flexible and reflect the range of learning needs in the classroom. All families are notified of MTSS at the beginning of the first cycle. 

Technology 

Technology provides an avenue for staff to model the habits we hope to instill in our students:  perseverance, risk-taking, exploration, and bold thinking. At Blanchard, we integrate technology intentionally and take time to teach media literacy skills. We have three teacher-leaders who work with our district technology team to stay abreast of current research, tools, and best practices in digital learning and citizenship. Additionally, our Instructional Technology Specialist and Librarian both work collaboratively with classroom teachers to introduce foundational computer programming skills, keyboarding, and robotics. All learning spaces are equipped with interactive whiteboards, ceiling-mounted projectors,  and document cameras. Students have access to Chromebooks, iPads, and desktop computers. 

Kindergarten 

Kindergarten is an important phase in a student’s educational life. Kindergarten teachers implement district-wide curricula including: Heggerty (phonemic awareness), Expeditionary Learning Literacy (vocabulary and comprehension), Fundations (phonics), Handwriting Without Tears, Illustrative Math, and Second Step (social-emotional learning and bullying prevention). Our kindergarten teachers curate developmentally appropriate learning activities based on the whole group curriculum that provide opportunities to practice taught skills through engaging, hands-on tasks. Collaboration and independence are fostered throughout the kindergarten experience.

Kindergartners engage in literacy experiences designed to foster a lifelong love for reading and writing.  Literacy skills introduced include, but are not limited to: 

• Letter recognition 

• Sound/symbol relationships 

• Initial, medial, and final sounds 

• Phonemic Awareness skills (blending, segmenting , and substituting sounds)

• High-frequency/sight word recognition 

• Rhyming/word families 

• Story retelling 

• Comprehension and vocabulary

• Writing using phonetic spelling 

• Concepts of print (left-to-right directionality, word structure, alphabet knowledge, spacing)

• Letter formation, handwriting, and fine motor development

Mathematical learning experiences in kindergarten are primarily hands-on and allow children to: 

         • Develop a strong sense of numbers

• Experiment with ways of representing numbers 

• Find and describe relationships among numbers 

• Demonstrate a conceptual understanding of addition and subtraction 

• Explain and show their mathematical thinking

Science education in kindergarten at Blanchard is designed to build a sense of wonder. Children explore concepts about our world and the role they play in it. Curiosity and inquiry are encouraged through books, hands-on exploration, and active learning experiences.

Enrichment Programming and Activities 

Blanchard Memorial School has a long tradition of strong musical programming. Students in fourth,  fifth, and sixth grade have the option to participate in before and after school strings, chorus, and band programs. This is in addition to the performing arts enrichment block during the regular school day.  Through Community Education and the Boxborough Recreation Commission, we also host a variety of before and after school programs, including a running club, bird-watching group, Tae Kwon Do,  Nature’s Explorers, and Destination Imagination. 

Blanchard Memorial School also offers a before and after school Extended Day Program. Children are grouped by grade levels with separate staff members assigned to each group. Children participate in arts and crafts, nature and science activities, games, cooking, and sports. A quiet study area is available for students who wish to read. Our Extended Day Program also sponsors enrichment activities and trips. 

Family and Community Involvement 

Blanchard Memorial School operates on the premise that home and school form an intrinsic bond;  students need support from both in order to find success. We hope families and community members feel welcomed into our educational family. Our doors remain open to all. 

Learning is enhanced through the support of the Blanchard Parent, Teachers & Friends (PTF)  Organization who provides resources for enrichment programs to support all curriculum areas. The  Blanchard PTF also helps to coordinate special events, room parents, classroom volunteers, and grants for innovative teacher/staff programs and materials. 

As reflected in our School Improvement Plan, Blanchard Memorial School is dedicated to the social emotional health and well being of our students, staff, and families. We encourage you to read the School Improvement Plan found on the ‘About Us’ tab of our Blanchard Memorial School: Home website.