Embedded Files
An Act to establish the middle school innovation fund
An Act to establish the middle school innovation fund
Jeff Destino, Lily Muise, Dan Thomases and David Brown speak to the Joint Committee on Education from the Design Lab in the Science Center. Thanks to Seamus Buckley for all of the tech support!
Senator Tarr making his way to the Gardner Auditorium for the Public Hearing.
November 12, 2025
Senator Bruce Tarr and Representative Ann Margaret Ferrante worked with Science Center staff last year to sculpt a proposal that would become An Act to Establish the Middle School Innovation Fund. The Bill went before the Joint Committee on Education for a public hearing Wednesday, November 12. Superintendent Lummis joined Senator Tarr and Amy Donnelly to represent the Science Center in person at the State House. David Brown, Jeff Destino, Dan Thomases and Lily Muise spoke virtually to the Committee from the Science Center.
The Bill will establish a funding avenue for middle schools that 'engage in project centered group learning methods that integrate multiple areas of subject matter including but not limited to science and mathematics, promote learning among students at various skill levels and seek to comport with the requirements of time on learning as contained in statutes and regulations promulgated by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education..'
We are very thankful to Senator Tarr and Representative Ferrante, Jessica Margiotta, Ted Thomas and Andrew Tarr for all of their hard work. We are lucky to have such amazing folks at the State House.
Find entire Senate Bill 457 here.
District PROFESSIONAL Development
District PROFESSIONAL Development
November 4, 2025
The team from Lego Science Education, Tami Frailey, Lauren Russell and Marissa Lehrman joined us in the BioLab to lead 3 sessions using our new Lego Science Education classroom bundles for elementary school. We had a chance to dive into the materials and get familiar with the lessons. At the end of the day, classroom materials went out to elementary classrooms across the district.
In the DesignLab, Dave Brown led a 'Pencils on Paper' workshop including a go-through of the Honeycomb Drawing Project first introduced in the spring to Beeman 3rd graders and West Parish 4th graders. Educators practiced some basic drawing tool use with compass as dividers, drafting their own penta- and hexagons.
The O'Maley Grove
The O'Maley Grove
October 2025
Arborist Jack Montgomery instructs Mariah Shannon's 7th grade science classes in the proper planting of native oak trees. The trees were donated to O'Maley by Gloucester's 400 Trees, along with the beautiful sugar maple at the front entrance.
As they grow, the trees will provide a space for student investigations in ecosystems, climate change and biodiversity.
Buck Is Back
Buck Is Back
December 2025
Buck enjoyed a few days in the atrium, building nest boxes and running the model train. Thanks for the holiday cheer, Buck!
First Annual
First Annual
6th grade
6th grade
O'maley museum
O'maley museum
of
of
natural history!
natural history!
March 2026
The O'Maley Museum of Natural History opened to a large crowd and rave reviews. 6th graders created exhibits focused on one of the overarching questions from their Earth History Unit:
-How and why is Earth constantly changing?
-How has Earth changed over time?
-How to people reconstruct and date events in Earth’s planetary history?
The museum was a 'pop up' in our learning commons, transforming the seminar room into an exhibit hall. Excited students and parents visited the museum during O'Maley's Evening of Excellence.
Thank you to the 6th grade science teachers for a successful launch of this annual event!
Student DNA extracted! There is 6 1/2 feet of DNA present in each human nucleated cell.
A trip to GMGI biotech academy
A trip to GMGI biotech academy
April 2026
All O’Maley 8th graders were invited to visit Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute’s Biotechnology Academy. At the Academy, students isolated their DNA, toured the facility and learned about the Biotech Academy programs available to GPS students and graduates.
Green fluorescent protein isolated from jellyfish.
bi·o·tech·nol·o·gy
/ˌbīōˌtekˈnäləjē/
Biotechnology is the use of living systems, organisms, or parts of them to develop or create useful products, usually to solve human problems. It merges biology with technology to improve medicine, agriculture, and industrial processes. Examples range from ancient methods like fermenting yogurt to modern genetic engineering.
Umass Hodgkins cove marine station
Umass Hodgkins cove marine station
April 2026
Scientists at Hodgkins Cove get down on the dock to observe the living seawall. Phoenix House will pilot a new program at the Marine station in May. The program, developed in partnership with the Science Center at O'Maley, brings together UMass scientists, local marine scientists, Gloucester fishermen and O'Maley 7th graders. All will dive into factors affecting the local fishing industry and ways scientists are monitoring impacts on the Marine ecosystem.
KESTREL IN THE
CLASSROOM
April 2026
Kestrel Adventures led the 7th graders through a preview day before their field visit to Dogtown.
Students learned how to use dichotomous keys to identify local flora and fauna. Kestrel provided plenty of samples of both, from leaves and fronds to tadpoles, fish and caddisfly larvae.
Using the field data sheet, students practiced making entries of their observations.
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