Nearing the End

Some Important Dates/Information in June

June 2 - Field Day:The morning will consist of structured games that the children will rotate through.  The afternoon will be lunch, obstacle courses, and tug-of-war. Students will need to wear their yellow Peck Place t-shirts.  

June 5- June 9 Talent Days: As I mentioned in an earlier email, this is an opportunity for each student to share a special talent of interest with their classmates.  If you need supplies, I am more than happy to purchase what you need.  Please have your child give me a list of required items.  Here are the assigned days:

June 5 - Reamon, Grayson, Nicco

June 6- Taylor, Maya, Cecilia, Ellery, Aaliyah

June 7- Jimmy, Jaiden, James

June 8- Sophia, Besjana, Leah

June 9- Aiden, Riley

June 13 - End-of-Year Celebration: Room mothers will be in touch with details and a list of needed items.  Thank you in advance to all helpers!

June 14 - Last Day: Minimum Day with a 1:00 dismissal

I will be giving a final reading assessment over the next two weeks.  I will also be calling each family to share end of year data and my parting thoughts.

Much to Celebrate

I am happy to report there are quite a few reasons to celebrate since my last post! These past two months have been very busy and very productive.  Your children are growing - academically, socially, and emotionally.  I continue to be very proud of EVERY child in my class. Here are some reasons to celebrate:

Spelling Bee: Riley Cohutt, Aaliyah Craig, and Sophia Bernfeld (alternate) represented our class at The Peck Place School Spelling Bee. The words were challenging and there was stiff competition.  Riley and Aaliyah made us proud by advancing many rounds.  Riley was the overall third-place winner!  Congratulations to all three students.

Millionaire's Club:  This year's Millionaire's Club has just been announced.  Reamon Curis and James Liu have read their way into this elite club.  All members have read a minimum of 1,000,000 words during this school year.  Way to go Reamon and James! We have a few classmates that are very close to reaching this milestone - they are continuing to read and hoping to become a member before the year ends.  I'll keep you posted.

Case Memorial Art Show: Last night, the Case Memorial Library hosted an art show to highlight some very talented artists from our school system.  I am pleased to announce that Reamon Curis and Leah Casperowitz were selected to have their artwork displayed. Stop by the library and admire their beautiful masterpieces!

Student Ambassadors: Community outreach is alive and well - especially in Room 203.  The following students have been volunteering time to promote, organize, and participate in community service projects: Sophia Bernfeld, Leah Casperowitz, Riley Cohutt, Aaliyah Craig, Jaiden Hernandez, Grayson James, Maya Remigio, and Ellery Varholak

Springtime: We survived another New England winter and are ready to embrace all that Spring brings. Here are some reasons I love to celebrate Spring: more daylight, warmer weather, blooming flowers, children using their energy OUTSIDE, and April vacation.

Passover and Easter: I wish you and your family a happy, healthy, and restful holiday.  As you can see, we have a lot to be thankful for.

Mid-Year Information

Assessments:

It is just about the mid-year point for this school year... hard to believe, isn't it?  As a result, we will begin a series of assessments to monitor and adjust instruction.  The following is a general schedule for these assessments:

Week of January 23 - STAR Math (computerized)

Week of January 30 - STAR Reading (computerized) and begin Math Benchmark (paper and pencil)

Week of February 6- complete Math Benchmark

What does this mean for you?  Not much... LOL  You do not need to do anything to prepare your child.  You might notice a decrease in homework.  This is because we will not be learning a lot of new concepts and I would like them to be relaxed and rested for testing.

Communication:

• I have touched base with some of you already and I will continue to make my phone calls this week. If there is a certain day or time that is not good for you, please send me an email to let me know.  As I have mentioned before, these phone calls are meant to open dialogue and for me to clarify or answer any questions you might have.
• Conferences - A form is coming home today.  This second round of conferences is new. There are two conference days scheduled and a variety of options for you to choose from.  They are offered to everyone, but not required.  

Biographies:

This is going to be SLOWLY - one step at a time.  I am monitoring each student's work and meeting with each student during school.  As of tonight, all students should have their notes on Childhood and Schooling filled in on the worksheet I provided.  Additionally, the information should be transferred into two paragraphs (one on childhood and one on schooling). I have gone over this in class. Each paragraph should consist of a topic sentence, 3 details, and a concluding sentence.

I will be sending home a bag tomorrow night.  There will be clear directions for what to do on the bag and what to put in the bag.  This portion of the project is the "at home" portion.  I will not be monitoring the requirements.

Valentine's Day:

We will be celebrating Valentine's Day on February 14th at 2:00pm.  Students wishing to bring in valentines for their classmates must bring them in for ALL students.  We will be making our collection bags in school... I am trying to lighten your load at home!  I will send home a list of all names so students can refer to it for spelling.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  It is hard to believe that 2017 has arrived.  Here is what is happening in Room 203 as we begin this new year.

AR Goals:  The 3rd Accelerated Reading Goal is fast approaching.  I will be meeting with every child tomorrow to discuss their progress and to determine if any adjustments will be made.  The goal date is January 20.

Language Arts/S.S. :

• The focus for this month is out biography reports.  This will be done MAINLY in school and it will be broken down into small, achievable steps. So far, we have picked out our person, checked out a book, and had one lesson with Mrs. Fitzpatrick on note taking.  We will continue to model and instruct and give deadlines for the various aspects of this project. STUDENTS WILL NOT be asked to dress like their person.  They will be researching, writing a summary of the person's life, and creating a digital timeline.
• In addition, to the above project, we will continue to focus of reading comprehension and fluency.  Also, we will begin to look closer at the formation of "typical New England towns."

Math:

• You will be receiving the pre/post results for Unit 3
• We have pre-tested for Unit 4.  The focus will be on a variety of skills: Order of Operation (Ask your child about my Aunt Sally), prime and composite numbers, factors, and solving word problems by using variables.
• Please continue to help your child practice their multiplication tables.  Knowing them by rote memory will make these other tasks much easier.

My Goal: Expect a phone call from me soon... and do not panic.  I have made it my own personal goal to have a phone conversation with each of you on a regular basis.  I am planning on touching base every other month - I think the blog, email, and written communication are effective, however, I do not think they are a substitute for voice-to-voice conversations. I will be happy to answer any questions you might have or give you a quick overview of your child's progress.

P.A.W.S. Awards Announced

The first round of P.A.W.S. Character Awards were presented at The Peck Place School last month.  Students from each class are selected for five categories. There will be future selections to come! 

Practicing Kindness:

Nicco Nardecchia

Acting Responsibly:

Maya Remigio

Working and Playing Safely:

Taylor Hawkins

Striving for Success:

Grayson James

All-Around PAWS Award:

Besjana Bobi

The Geography Bee is Coming!

- Class Bee: December 14-16   - School Bee: Jan. 10th at 1:30

I was looking for some educational sites to help students with their geography knowledge.  I came across an article that included the following:

4 Great Geography Websites for Kids

• Global Trek is a great site if you’re traveling to another country, or if you just want to travel virtually and learn about other places and cultures.
• Kids Geo is a fun, online geography textbook written for kids.
• 50 States.com provides fun facts and other information about all 50 states, as well as U.S. commonwealths and territories.
• National Geographic Kids is, of course, the go-to resource for all things geographic.

Giving Thanks and Looking Ahead

The month of November has come and gone so quickly! I hope everyone had a restful and happy Thanksgiving day and break.  I am thankful for being a part of such an awesome school community.

 Here is a recap of what has taken place:

• Hearing Screening - all students had their hearing checked at the nurse's office.  If she had any concerns, you would have received a note from her.  Otherwise, your child can hear you - they just might not be listening to you! :)
• Veterans Day Assembly - What a special day! Your children sang like angels and represented our school magnificently.  I was touched by their sincerity and in awe of the many veterans in attendance.
• American Education Week - It was nice to have some of you visit during the school day.  If you were unable to come on the designated days and would still like you can stop by when it is convenient for you.
• Report Cards- The first marking period report card was sent home.  If you have any questions about your child's progress I am more than happy to speak with you.  As an overview: 2s are right were students should be at this time of year, 3s are showing mastery of end-of-year standards, and 4s are reserved for the rare times students are being instructed with 5th grade standards.
• Mashantucket Pequot Museum - Students, chaperones and teachers enjoyed a fun-filled day at the museum.  We walked through a typical village and learned a great deal about how they Native Americans in our region spent their time. In addition, we learned about and made pinch pottery and participated in a lesson on "Life Without a Supermarket."
• Curriculum - In reading and writing, we are finishing up our exploration of Tall Tales.  Ask your child what characteristics make up a tall tale.  Practice telling them at the dinner table!  In math, the post test was sent home (sign and send back the cover sheet) and we have begun DIVISION.  There is a new method and strategy for teaching this - it uses multiplication to find the missing factor.

UPCOMING:

• AR Reading - This term ends on 12/2.  We will re-test on Monday and set new goals.
• Holiday Concert - The Peck Place School Holiday Concert will be held on 12/20 (look for future communications on times).  Please have all children wear white tops and black bottoms.
• We will continue to be working hard in the classroom.  I know things at home get a little hectic around this time of year.  I will try to keep things as routine as possible in school.