Principal's Newsletter
For a PDF version of our newsletter, please select the following link: October 08 Newsletter
October 2008 Newsletter
From the Principal's Office:
The month of September seems to have rocketed by. It has been a great month for me at Lenox as I have had the opportunity to learn a lot of names and spend a great deal of time in Morris classrooms.
Much of the work of a principal can seem rather routine. The following are a few highlights of things I have been working on with our staff that may be of special interest:
Group Games at Recess started a few weeks ago lead by Mr. Evans and Mrs. Swindlehurst. These games have included a forty student match of red- light-green-light and a variation of capture the flag called “capture the (rubber) chicken.” I want to thank Mr. Evans and Mrs. Swindlehurst for their creative games and all of our recess team for keeping recess safe and active.
In September, Mr. Evans, Mrs. Pezze and I attended a Safe Schools Workshop presented by author and educator Stan Davis. This day-long workshop for school personnel was made possible by the Berkshire County District Attorney’s Office. We learned a variety of techniques for promoting positive discipline by engaging students in reflective and proactive discussions about their conduct and responsibilities. We have already seen some positive results from these interventions.
I want to thank our fourth grade teachers, parents, and students for a wet but fun Big E Field Trip. I attended this trip with the fourth grade on September 26, and even though constant heavy rain dampened the day, there was much learned about our New England region. I want to especially thank our many fourth grade chaperone/ parents who braved the elements and did a fantastic job managing their groups amongst the crowds.
Professional Book Group: Several Morris staff members are participating in a professional reading of Reading Instruction that Works by Michael Pressley . The book is a compendium of research and best practices from the last 50 years about how children learn to read and which methods best serve developing readers. The book group is part of an examination of the way language arts is taught at Morris.
TL
Columbus Day - 10/13 |
Morris Awarded Art Grants:
The Massachusetts Cultural Council has granted $4500 to Morris for a dramatic arts experience for the fifth grade. Shakespeare and Company will be conducting a workshop with our fifth grade students that will result in the student performance of an actual Shakespeare production in early April. Shakespeare and Company will integrate language arts topics and drama to give students and the school community a one of a kind learning and performance opportunity. The mission of Shakespeare and Company is “to bring the classical plays of Shakespeare alive, and into the lives of students and teachers in ways that are educationally rigorous, theatrically dynamic, and personally meaningful.”
Thanks to Bob Vaughan who wrote and submitted this grant prior to his retirement.
The National Endowment for the Humanities has named Morris School a recipient of its Picturing America grant. Morris has received some beautiful art resources in the form of 40 high quality reproductions from American masters and a detailed teacher resource book to guide students learning and integrate art into history, social studies, writing and literature. Beautiful examples of work from artists including Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keefe, and Jacob Lawrence tell a vivid story of our nation’s history. Recognition and thanks go to Art Teacher Debby Kain for writing the grant that made possible the acquisition of this resource. To learn more visit www.PicturingAmerica.neh.gov.
MCAS, ELA, NCLB, AYP? Some Education Acronyms Explained
For some reason, the education profession greatly favors the use of acronyms to describe what it does. Education reform legislation of the last decade has only served to increase the number of acronyms used to describe what happens in and around schools. In an effort to inform our Morris community, here’s a quick definition of a few important education acronyms:
NCLB: stands for No Child Left Behind, the federal legislation of 2001 which put strict accountability requirements on schools and districts that receive federal funds. These requirements specify that by 2014 every child in the U.S. will achieve “proficiency” in reading and math. The act goes on to require that on the way to this goal, schools will make AYP or Adequate Yearly Progress, making acceptable improvement annually towards the achievement of the proficiency goal. Across the country, student proficiency levels are monitored using a mandatory standardized testing system developed by states and managed by testing contractors. In Massachusetts this system is called the MCAS or Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System. One area where students are assessed is ELA or English Language Arts. Looking at school data you may note scores under this category which indicate performance in reading comprehension, grammar, writing skills, etc.
Keeping you Connected...
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY OCTOBER 14
Please mark your calendars for a half-day of school on Tuesday, October 14th (the day after we are off for Columbus Day). Children are dismissed at noon and lunch will not be served.
PICTURE RE-TAKE REMINDER
Judy Dias will be here in the morning on October 17 to take pictures of students that were absent on the original picture day and to do re-takes. Please be sure to send in your original package if you are requesting a re-take.
CORI FORM REMINDER
Field trips and volunteer opportunities can sneak up on you—please make sure that you have submitted your CORI form with a copy of your driver’s license. The process can take up to two weeks to complete. Don’t miss out!!!
PICTURES TAKEN OF YOUR CHILDREN
From time to time the newspaper takes photos of your children engaged in school activities. Many pictures are also taken for the yearbook.
Please let us know, in writing, if you do not wish your child’s picture to be included in the yearbook or used with any newspaper stories. Without a written note specifying otherwise, we will grant permission for photos to be used as appropriate.
BOX TOP$ EQUAL EXTRA CASH
Please remember to keep collecting Box Tops. It is such an easy and valuable thing to do! They are found on more and more products that we all use. Ask your neighbors and relatives to save them for you too. THANKS to those who brought in box tops last year. We earned over $600, up from $450 the year before!! This fall’s mailing deadline is 10/31 so please make sure to send them all in before 10/24. The collection box is the Cheerios box in the library window just inside the front door of the school.
Since they must be submitted in bundles of 50, it would be helpful to submit just 50 in one Ziploc (write 50 on the outside) and submit extras in a separate Ziploc. Also, please make sure to visit the Box Tops web site at www.boxtops4education.com for even more ways to generate $$ for Morris School. What a great way for our school to generate additional $$ to spend on extras for our children.
Students Taken on Vacation
As is the case each year, we receive questions from parents concerning the assignment of school work to be done while on vacation. Please consider the following guidelines when taking your child out of school during a non-school vacation time:
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The loan of textbooks is permissible.
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Special assignments for the child to do while away are not to be given
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We assume no obligation to grade any assignments presumed to have been done by the child during his/her absence.
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Upon return, the burden of making up work missed during the absence is upon the child.
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Except for the inevitable losses incurred as a result of absence from scheduled classes and the failure to make up work missed, the school will not impose any penalty upon the child or parent as a consequence of the absence.
Reminder Notes:
Early Dismissals. If your child needs to be dismissed early for an appointment please be sure to send a note in to the teacher that morning. Thanks!
Nut and snack reminder. Many of our students have food allergies. Please follow the allergy guidelines for your child’s classroom.
Lunch Money on Monday. In order to keep lunch accounts current, send your deposit in on Monday mornings.
CHORUS BEGINS AT 8:00 A.M. In the past our chorus began at 7:45 and many children are arriving at or before that time. PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE IN TIME!
Save Paper!
Save paper! Get this newsletter via e-mail or the web. Check our web site or call/email Laura Saldarini with your email address and she will send the newsletter to you electronically. Contact Laura at 637-5522 x 2171 or lsaldarini@lenoxps.org
Appropriate Dress.
Fall is here and that means winter isn’t far behind. Please be sure to remind your children to wear warm clothes—layers are best. Be prepared for outdoor play with coats, hats, gloves, snow pants and boots!
Pre-Schoolers: Setting the Stage for Learning to Read.
Many preschoolers may not show an interest in written language or books. That’s okay, as children aged 2, 3, and 4 tend to live in the moment and do almost all learning through first-hand experiences. There are, however, some simple things that parents can do help children more easily become readers when they do reach the age of reading readiness:
Talk to your preschoolers often and encourage them to talk to you. The ability to read is based largely on an understanding of language. A child who can readily discriminate and process language and take out the meaning will have an easier time when that language is presented in print.
Take them places. Much of a child’s future reading comprehension is based upon prior knowledge. Prior knowledge provides a foundation on which to build new concepts and understandings. A trip to the grocery store or post office or dentist can be a knowledge building bonanza if you talk about where you’re going and what you’ll be doing.
Limit Screen Time. Small children tend to learn through two-way interaction with their environment. TV and computer games may “teach” the alphabet or other concepts but they are no match for the learning value of actually using language with another human. Also, with TV and computer, the type of sensory input is limited to visual and auditory, leaving out kinesthetic and tactile learning, which are very important modalities for preschoolers.
Read to your children: When reading with small children, don’t worry about mastering letter sounds. Start by working on concepts of print: Which is the front of the book? Which is the back? What’s a picture? What is print? You can show your little one that the print has meaning by tracking the words with a finger as you read. The child should see you move your finger from word to word as she hears your voice move from word to word. As your children get older you may try guiding their finger as you read the words. This is best done with books you have read a number of times.
It’s important to remember that reading is a developmental process. Being a part of that process can be a rewarding experience for parents.
From the Music Room:
Music classes from Kindergarten through grade five are off to a lively start. We have been dancing, performing rhythm patterns, singing, and playing games. The Kindergarten and first grades enjoy the guessing game “Closet Key”. They are also working on a folk dance called “The Seven Jumps Dance”. Ask your second or third graders about the rhythmic pattern: patch-clap-partner-clap. Students perform this pattern with a partner as part of a movement activity to the Traditional Irish tune “Rakes of Mallow”. Fourth and fifth graders have been working on singing in solfege, part singing and playing rhythm instruments. All of these activities work toward the goal of music literacy. Name games and greetings have aided me in getting to know everyone. My challenge is to learn every student’s name by January. Together grades two through five and I have created a Music Class Constitution. It reads as follows. We will: 1) Do our best and cooperate, 2) Be kind, 3) Listen and follow directions, and 4) Respect everyone and everything.
In addition to general music classes, there are 58 students singing in elementary School Chorus and 56 taking instrumental lessons. The junior chorus meets on Tuesday mornings at 8:00 a.m. and the Senior Chorus meets on Thursdays. We work on vocal technique, part singing and music literacy, with an emphasis on choral performance skills. Our band students meet once a week during the school day in small groups. The fifth grade will form an ensemble in February. We plan to show off the fruits of our labor with a chorus/band concert before the end of the school year.
Mrs. Pollard, Music Teacher
Enrichment News
“What do we do in Enrichment class?” Within the next few weeks, many of our students will have answers to this question. In the meantime, here’s a summary.
The Enrichment program is designed to stimulate creative and critical thinking skills, and enhance the regular curriculum. This school year, I will teach 4th and 5th grade classes once a week from September through January, and each 2nd and 3rd grade from February through June. Some learning units are process oriented, stressing skills such as fluent production of original ideas. Others focus more heavily on content such as Astronomy or the Brain.
Extra enrichment classes for 3rd, 4th and 5th graders are open to all students on a self-selected basis -- every student has the opportunity to choose from a variety of mini-courses offered for small groups at each grade level. Students “revolve” in and out depending on individual interest in the topics available. Examples of topics include LAW, GALAPAGOS and DANCE and MOVEMENT. Course selections, detailed information and sign up sheets will be explained in class, and sent home for parents to review later this month.
A third component of the program is Destination ImagiNation, an international, multi-faceted problem-solving competition which involves brainstorming, designing, writing, a commitment to teamwork, and production of creative solutions to an unusual array of cultural, social and/or technical challenges. All 5th graders are invited to apply for team membership in DI, which runs from October to March or April. Parent volunteers will be needed to assist with managing responsibilities.
Staff, students, parents, and the school community have always provided support and enthusiasm for all aspects of the Enrichment program. Please contact me with questions or suggestions, and look for Enrichment notes in this newsletter on a regular basis.
Mrs. Edelman, Enrichment Teacher
Vocabulary from Señorita Gonzalez...
¡Hola Padres! Reinforce español at home with these common greetings (saludos):
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Hola - hi
* ¿Cómo estás? - how are you?
* Muy bien - very well
* Gracias - thank you
* Adiós - goodbye
Health and Wellness Tips:
Busy kids need plenty of sleep and kids who get the right amount of sleep learn more in school! Please help to ensure that your child is ready for school by seeing they get about 9 hours. It makes a big difference at school!
It’s true! Breakfast is the most important meal! Children learn better when they have had a good balanced breakfast before school. Talk to your child about their healthy breakfast favorites and make breakfast a priority.Healthy minds are in healthy bodies. Please limit your child’s sedentary or screen time. Make sure they are engaged in regular physical activities that provide exercise. For more fun, make your kids part of your exercise routine.