Columbus Elementary January 2014 newsletter
Content
JANUARY 2014 VOLUME 6
Principal’s Corner
~ Happy 2014! Happy New Year to all Columbus Family members! I hope the holiday season was filled with love, laughter, family, and friends. Sincere thanks to all of you for your well wishes and other signs of kindness before the holiday. Your hearts are BIG indeed. Sincere thanks and appreciation as well goes out to a special Columbus donor whose generosity helps make all kinds of school wide events possible. A very special congratulations is sent to Mr. Alistair Moock who was nominated for a Children’s Grammy for his musical work! We are all rooting for you! Thank you to all who supported the recent fund raisers of fresh Florida fruit and the Winter Craft Fair. The PTO did a fantastic job choreographing these events for the community so that the children can engage in wonderful field trips, educational performances, replenish outdoor equipment, and participate in a school wide Fun Day in the spring. Thanks as well for all the pennies the children brought in to help the people of the Philippines. We raised $700.00 for the effort, which we will send to the American Red Cross. Congratulations to Mrs. DiPersio’s Class who raised the most. Special thanks to the hard work and dedication of all the students, especially Riley Rena who collected $287.00. Well done Columbus School! Please know that our time together from this point forward moves very quickly. So it’s back to serious studies! If you have not yet met with your child’s teacher, please make an appointment to do so, as this is the manner in which report cards are distributed. Kindergarten Parent/ Teacher Conferences will be held this month as well. Teachers will send home appointment notices in your child’s back pack. Designated students who speak more than one language will be participating in the state mandated ACCESS assessments this month. Please be sure to send your children to school on time during the testing period.
Columbus News
COLUMBUS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 37 HICKS AVENUE, MEDFORD, MA 02155
WWW.MEDFORD.K12.MA.US
It is vital to your child’s education that he/she arrive to school on time. Arrival after 8:40 is tardy. Accompany your child to the front office to sign in. For reasons of safety, do NOT drop your child off and allow solitary entry. We also thank you for having your child ready to unload before reaching the car loop. Please do not get out of your car to unload your child, and if at all possible, seat your child on the side adjacent to the school. Remember: Cars may not be: left unattended, pass in the car loop, park along the curb by the school, or park in handicapped spots without a permit. Parents SHOULD NOT be on cell phones in the car loop. Please do not sit with your engine idling. The Medford Police Department will visit from time to time to ensure that safety is maintained. We appreciate your help in this endeavor. During dismissal, if you arrive later than 2:55ish, your child will be in the front office awaiting your arrival. Families are welcome to play on the playground, with adult supervision of course. I thank you for following these every important practices to ensure the safety of your child. Also now that the cold weather is upon us it may be tempting to enter the building just before arrival and/or dismissal. To help maintain a secure campus, I have to ask you to remain outside to wait for your child’s day to begin or to end. If the weather allows, the children will go out to play. We do check the temperature daily and decisions made include the wind chill factor, therefore please dress your child accordingly. If they do not have a coat, they may not be permitted to go outside to play. As we begin the new year and have resolutions fresh in our minds, let’s try to reach out and perform some random act of kindness each day.
Kathleen Kay
[email protected]
* IMPORTANT TELEPHONE NUMBERS * TELEPHONE : 781.393.2177 * FAX : 781.393.2187 * NURSE : 781.393.2175 * ABSENCE LINE: 781.393.3503
January 1 January 2 January 3 January 8 January 9 January 13 January 14 January 15 January 20 January 21 January 22 January 29 January 30
NO SCHOOL – Holiday Break School Resumes Winter Craft Fair Raffle Prize Winners - Pizza Party in the Vault at Salvatores Early Release Day, 1:30am Dismissal PTO Meeting, 7:00pm, Columbus Cafeteria Lowell Farm to Factory Presentation for grade four School Store Fund Raiser Kicks Off Kids Cooking Green Workshop begins after school today, Grades 4 and 5 Early Release Day, 1:30am Dismissal NO SCHOOL - Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday School Council Meeting, 7:00pm, Columbus Conference Room Early Release Day, 1:30am Dismissal Early Release Day, 1:30am Dismissal School Spirit Day - Wear your favorite SPORTS gear to school. Bring food for the food pantry too!
“Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” ~Carl Bard State mandated ACCESS and MCAS Assessments have been scheduled. Please keep these dates in mind when scheduling appointments: ELL - ACCESS Assessments: January 2014 ENGLISH ARTS MCAS Assessments: 4th Grade ELA Composition - 3/18, 5th Grade ELA - 3/20 & 3/21 , 4th Grade ELA- 3/24 & 3/25, 4th Grade ELA Composition (Make-Up Date) - 3/27, 3rd Grade ELA - 3/27 & 3/28. SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY MCAS Assessment: 5th Grade - 5/6 & 5/7. MATH MCAS Assessments: 4th Grade MATH – 5/8 & 5/9, 5th Grade MATH – 5/12 & 5/13, 3rd Grade MATH - 5/15 & 5/16.
J A N U A R Y 20 1 4 Page 2
BOOK
REVIEWS
Danny's Doodles: The Jelly Bean Experiment, by David Adler. Grades 2-5 Danny Cohen and Calvin Waffle are two very different kids. Danny likes playing baseball; Calvin enjoys strange experiments. Danny follows the rules at school; Calvin tries to drive his teacher crazy. Danny and Calvin decide to team up for the big jelly bean experiment. Will it lead to trouble? Maybe. Will they have fun trying? You can count on it. ~ Amazon.com
Fortunately, the Milk, by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Skottie Young. Grades 3-6. A little boy and his little sister awake one morning, milkless. Their mother is away on business, their father is buried in the paper, and their Toastios are dry. What are young siblings to do? They impress upon their father that his tea is also without milk and sit back to watch their plan take effect. But something goes amiss, and their father doesn’t return, and doesn’t return some more. fFnally when he does, he has a story to tell. A story involving aliens; pirates; ponies; wumpires (not the handsome, brooding kind); and a stegosaurus professor who pilots a Floaty-Ball-Person-Carrier (which looks suspiciously like a hot-air balloon). There is time travel, treachery, and ample adventure, and, fortunately, the milk he has procured is rescued at every turn. Gaiman’s oversize, tongue -in-cheek narrative twists about like the impromptu nonsense it is, with quick turns, speed bumps, and one go -for -broke dairy deus ex machina. Young fills the pages with sketchy, highly stylized images, stretched and pointy, bringing the crazed imaginations to life with irrepressible energy. Children will devour this one, with or without milk. ~Thom Barthelmess, School Library Journal
On December 18th, the fifth grade students participated in a graduation ceremony from the D.A.R.E. program. D.A.R.E., which stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education, was lead by Officer O’Keefe of the Medford Police Department. Officer O’Keefe believes that teaching students good decision making skills will help them to lead safe and healthy lives. The D.A.R.E. Vision - “A world in which students everywhere are empowered to respect others and choose to lead lives free from violence, substance abuse, and other dangerous behaviors.” Facing unparalleled drug abuse among our youth in the 1970’s and early 1980’s, visionary Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl Gates and the Los Angeles Unified School District in 1983 launched an unprecedented and innovative substance abuse prevention education program – Drug Abuse Resistance Education. As each decade passed and success increased, the challenges facing children and families also grew. Today, through the leadership of D.A.R.E.’s dedicated Board of Directors, and the tireless commitment and hard work of tens of thousands of officers and educators throughout America and around the globe, D.A.R.E strives each day to achieve its vital mission… to fulfill a vision. And at the Columbus, with the support of Chief Sacco, instructor Office O’Keefe, assistant Superintendent Mrs. Diane Caldwell, and the fifth grade teachers: Mrs. Maggiore, Mrs. Marciano, and Mrs. O’Donohue, D.A.R.E.’s success is seen in our classrooms with each passing year. Pictured are this year’s D.A.R.E. contest winners: Talia Ritchie, Isabella Rego, Nick, and Jayde Edson, along with Mrs. Diane Caldwell, Officer O’Keefe and Chief Sacco. Congratulations to the winners and to the entire 5th grade for completing this life long training and empowering yourselves to make wise decisions ahead.
Page 3
Six Ways to Make Your Resolutions Stick
By Ashley M. Williams, USA TODAY Network, December 27, 2013. As you welcome 2014 and attempt to fulfill that big goal of yours, don't panic. Scranton University psychology professor, John Norcross, is offering ways to follow through on your New Year's resolutions. Here are some of his tips to keep your New Year's goals. And remember, it's a marathon, not a sprint! 1) Make changes to your behavior. Changing your routine can bring different results. Instead of trying the same thing over and over again, expect a different outcome. People need to modify their behaviors. 2) Define SMART goals. When setting targets, use the SMART acronym: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timespecific. Norcross says that individuals must go further than simply saying, "I want to lose weight." "Specifically, what are you going to do so that you can measure and track [your weight] over time, for say, the next three to four months?" he said. something nice for yourself. This will help keep you focused and excited about the overall goal. 5) Make it public. When individuals announce their goals on social media, to their families or in the workplace, they are being held accountable by those closest to them. The upside to this, Norcross says, is it can keep you on track. The downside: "It potentially increases embarrassment if they fail," he said. So, it depends on how open you want to be about your resolutions. 6) You are human. Chances 3) Track your proare you may slip up once or gress. Norcross calls this techtwice during this process. It's nique self-monitoring. A calendar, OK. Norcross says it is important or a calendar app, is a handy tool to deal with failures by getting you can use to track your goals. back on track and continuing "It also can show you what the along your journey. Seventy triggers of your behavior are and percent of successful goalit can alert you to any early slips," setters said that their first slip Norcross says. actually strengthened their reso4) Reward small achievelutions. Norcross says to adopt ments. When you reach a portion the outlook, "I'm human. Let me of your goal, as an example you learn from it, and let me keep lose 10 of those 25 pounds, be going." kind to yourself. Recognize the accomplishment and perhaps do
Positive and Healthy New Year's Resolutions for Kids
Parents may make resolutions to save more money, stop smoking, or lose weight in the New Year, but what commitments can children make to improve themselves, too? Turns out, there are plenty of ageappropriate targets kids can set to build skills and habits that'll serve them well into adulthood. Here are some suggestions from the American Academyof Pediatrics (found at MetroParent.com!): Drink milk and water and limit intake of soda and fruit drinks; Put on sunscreen, stay in the shade when you can and wear a brimmed hat and sunglasses – especially when playing sports; Find a team or individual sport that gets you moving (like soccer or karate) or participate in an activity (playing tag, dancing, riding a bike) you like and do it at least three times a week; Wear a helmet when on your bike, scooter or skateboard; Wear your seatbelt every time you’re in a car, or sit in the back seat and use a booster seat; Be nice to other kids and friendly to those who are shy, different, or new at school; Never give out personal information online, like name, home address, school name, or phone number – and never send a picture of yourself to anyone you chat with on the computer without mom or dad's permission.
Principal’s Corner
~ Happy 2014! Happy New Year to all Columbus Family members! I hope the holiday season was filled with love, laughter, family, and friends. Sincere thanks to all of you for your well wishes and other signs of kindness before the holiday. Your hearts are BIG indeed. Sincere thanks and appreciation as well goes out to a special Columbus donor whose generosity helps make all kinds of school wide events possible. A very special congratulations is sent to Mr. Alistair Moock who was nominated for a Children’s Grammy for his musical work! We are all rooting for you! Thank you to all who supported the recent fund raisers of fresh Florida fruit and the Winter Craft Fair. The PTO did a fantastic job choreographing these events for the community so that the children can engage in wonderful field trips, educational performances, replenish outdoor equipment, and participate in a school wide Fun Day in the spring. Thanks as well for all the pennies the children brought in to help the people of the Philippines. We raised $700.00 for the effort, which we will send to the American Red Cross. Congratulations to Mrs. DiPersio’s Class who raised the most. Special thanks to the hard work and dedication of all the students, especially Riley Rena who collected $287.00. Well done Columbus School! Please know that our time together from this point forward moves very quickly. So it’s back to serious studies! If you have not yet met with your child’s teacher, please make an appointment to do so, as this is the manner in which report cards are distributed. Kindergarten Parent/ Teacher Conferences will be held this month as well. Teachers will send home appointment notices in your child’s back pack. Designated students who speak more than one language will be participating in the state mandated ACCESS assessments this month. Please be sure to send your children to school on time during the testing period.
Columbus News
COLUMBUS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 37 HICKS AVENUE, MEDFORD, MA 02155
WWW.MEDFORD.K12.MA.US
It is vital to your child’s education that he/she arrive to school on time. Arrival after 8:40 is tardy. Accompany your child to the front office to sign in. For reasons of safety, do NOT drop your child off and allow solitary entry. We also thank you for having your child ready to unload before reaching the car loop. Please do not get out of your car to unload your child, and if at all possible, seat your child on the side adjacent to the school. Remember: Cars may not be: left unattended, pass in the car loop, park along the curb by the school, or park in handicapped spots without a permit. Parents SHOULD NOT be on cell phones in the car loop. Please do not sit with your engine idling. The Medford Police Department will visit from time to time to ensure that safety is maintained. We appreciate your help in this endeavor. During dismissal, if you arrive later than 2:55ish, your child will be in the front office awaiting your arrival. Families are welcome to play on the playground, with adult supervision of course. I thank you for following these every important practices to ensure the safety of your child. Also now that the cold weather is upon us it may be tempting to enter the building just before arrival and/or dismissal. To help maintain a secure campus, I have to ask you to remain outside to wait for your child’s day to begin or to end. If the weather allows, the children will go out to play. We do check the temperature daily and decisions made include the wind chill factor, therefore please dress your child accordingly. If they do not have a coat, they may not be permitted to go outside to play. As we begin the new year and have resolutions fresh in our minds, let’s try to reach out and perform some random act of kindness each day.
Kathleen Kay
[email protected]
* IMPORTANT TELEPHONE NUMBERS * TELEPHONE : 781.393.2177 * FAX : 781.393.2187 * NURSE : 781.393.2175 * ABSENCE LINE: 781.393.3503
January 1 January 2 January 3 January 8 January 9 January 13 January 14 January 15 January 20 January 21 January 22 January 29 January 30
NO SCHOOL – Holiday Break School Resumes Winter Craft Fair Raffle Prize Winners - Pizza Party in the Vault at Salvatores Early Release Day, 1:30am Dismissal PTO Meeting, 7:00pm, Columbus Cafeteria Lowell Farm to Factory Presentation for grade four School Store Fund Raiser Kicks Off Kids Cooking Green Workshop begins after school today, Grades 4 and 5 Early Release Day, 1:30am Dismissal NO SCHOOL - Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday School Council Meeting, 7:00pm, Columbus Conference Room Early Release Day, 1:30am Dismissal Early Release Day, 1:30am Dismissal School Spirit Day - Wear your favorite SPORTS gear to school. Bring food for the food pantry too!
“Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” ~Carl Bard State mandated ACCESS and MCAS Assessments have been scheduled. Please keep these dates in mind when scheduling appointments: ELL - ACCESS Assessments: January 2014 ENGLISH ARTS MCAS Assessments: 4th Grade ELA Composition - 3/18, 5th Grade ELA - 3/20 & 3/21 , 4th Grade ELA- 3/24 & 3/25, 4th Grade ELA Composition (Make-Up Date) - 3/27, 3rd Grade ELA - 3/27 & 3/28. SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY MCAS Assessment: 5th Grade - 5/6 & 5/7. MATH MCAS Assessments: 4th Grade MATH – 5/8 & 5/9, 5th Grade MATH – 5/12 & 5/13, 3rd Grade MATH - 5/15 & 5/16.
J A N U A R Y 20 1 4 Page 2
BOOK
REVIEWS
Danny's Doodles: The Jelly Bean Experiment, by David Adler. Grades 2-5 Danny Cohen and Calvin Waffle are two very different kids. Danny likes playing baseball; Calvin enjoys strange experiments. Danny follows the rules at school; Calvin tries to drive his teacher crazy. Danny and Calvin decide to team up for the big jelly bean experiment. Will it lead to trouble? Maybe. Will they have fun trying? You can count on it. ~ Amazon.com
Fortunately, the Milk, by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Skottie Young. Grades 3-6. A little boy and his little sister awake one morning, milkless. Their mother is away on business, their father is buried in the paper, and their Toastios are dry. What are young siblings to do? They impress upon their father that his tea is also without milk and sit back to watch their plan take effect. But something goes amiss, and their father doesn’t return, and doesn’t return some more. fFnally when he does, he has a story to tell. A story involving aliens; pirates; ponies; wumpires (not the handsome, brooding kind); and a stegosaurus professor who pilots a Floaty-Ball-Person-Carrier (which looks suspiciously like a hot-air balloon). There is time travel, treachery, and ample adventure, and, fortunately, the milk he has procured is rescued at every turn. Gaiman’s oversize, tongue -in-cheek narrative twists about like the impromptu nonsense it is, with quick turns, speed bumps, and one go -for -broke dairy deus ex machina. Young fills the pages with sketchy, highly stylized images, stretched and pointy, bringing the crazed imaginations to life with irrepressible energy. Children will devour this one, with or without milk. ~Thom Barthelmess, School Library Journal
On December 18th, the fifth grade students participated in a graduation ceremony from the D.A.R.E. program. D.A.R.E., which stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education, was lead by Officer O’Keefe of the Medford Police Department. Officer O’Keefe believes that teaching students good decision making skills will help them to lead safe and healthy lives. The D.A.R.E. Vision - “A world in which students everywhere are empowered to respect others and choose to lead lives free from violence, substance abuse, and other dangerous behaviors.” Facing unparalleled drug abuse among our youth in the 1970’s and early 1980’s, visionary Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl Gates and the Los Angeles Unified School District in 1983 launched an unprecedented and innovative substance abuse prevention education program – Drug Abuse Resistance Education. As each decade passed and success increased, the challenges facing children and families also grew. Today, through the leadership of D.A.R.E.’s dedicated Board of Directors, and the tireless commitment and hard work of tens of thousands of officers and educators throughout America and around the globe, D.A.R.E strives each day to achieve its vital mission… to fulfill a vision. And at the Columbus, with the support of Chief Sacco, instructor Office O’Keefe, assistant Superintendent Mrs. Diane Caldwell, and the fifth grade teachers: Mrs. Maggiore, Mrs. Marciano, and Mrs. O’Donohue, D.A.R.E.’s success is seen in our classrooms with each passing year. Pictured are this year’s D.A.R.E. contest winners: Talia Ritchie, Isabella Rego, Nick, and Jayde Edson, along with Mrs. Diane Caldwell, Officer O’Keefe and Chief Sacco. Congratulations to the winners and to the entire 5th grade for completing this life long training and empowering yourselves to make wise decisions ahead.
Page 3
Six Ways to Make Your Resolutions Stick
By Ashley M. Williams, USA TODAY Network, December 27, 2013. As you welcome 2014 and attempt to fulfill that big goal of yours, don't panic. Scranton University psychology professor, John Norcross, is offering ways to follow through on your New Year's resolutions. Here are some of his tips to keep your New Year's goals. And remember, it's a marathon, not a sprint! 1) Make changes to your behavior. Changing your routine can bring different results. Instead of trying the same thing over and over again, expect a different outcome. People need to modify their behaviors. 2) Define SMART goals. When setting targets, use the SMART acronym: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timespecific. Norcross says that individuals must go further than simply saying, "I want to lose weight." "Specifically, what are you going to do so that you can measure and track [your weight] over time, for say, the next three to four months?" he said. something nice for yourself. This will help keep you focused and excited about the overall goal. 5) Make it public. When individuals announce their goals on social media, to their families or in the workplace, they are being held accountable by those closest to them. The upside to this, Norcross says, is it can keep you on track. The downside: "It potentially increases embarrassment if they fail," he said. So, it depends on how open you want to be about your resolutions. 6) You are human. Chances 3) Track your proare you may slip up once or gress. Norcross calls this techtwice during this process. It's nique self-monitoring. A calendar, OK. Norcross says it is important or a calendar app, is a handy tool to deal with failures by getting you can use to track your goals. back on track and continuing "It also can show you what the along your journey. Seventy triggers of your behavior are and percent of successful goalit can alert you to any early slips," setters said that their first slip Norcross says. actually strengthened their reso4) Reward small achievelutions. Norcross says to adopt ments. When you reach a portion the outlook, "I'm human. Let me of your goal, as an example you learn from it, and let me keep lose 10 of those 25 pounds, be going." kind to yourself. Recognize the accomplishment and perhaps do
Positive and Healthy New Year's Resolutions for Kids
Parents may make resolutions to save more money, stop smoking, or lose weight in the New Year, but what commitments can children make to improve themselves, too? Turns out, there are plenty of ageappropriate targets kids can set to build skills and habits that'll serve them well into adulthood. Here are some suggestions from the American Academyof Pediatrics (found at MetroParent.com!): Drink milk and water and limit intake of soda and fruit drinks; Put on sunscreen, stay in the shade when you can and wear a brimmed hat and sunglasses – especially when playing sports; Find a team or individual sport that gets you moving (like soccer or karate) or participate in an activity (playing tag, dancing, riding a bike) you like and do it at least three times a week; Wear a helmet when on your bike, scooter or skateboard; Wear your seatbelt every time you’re in a car, or sit in the back seat and use a booster seat; Be nice to other kids and friendly to those who are shy, different, or new at school; Never give out personal information online, like name, home address, school name, or phone number – and never send a picture of yourself to anyone you chat with on the computer without mom or dad's permission.
