Herbert Mills STEAM Weekly News
March 20, 2020
Herbert Mills STEAM Elementary is a globally focused K-4 elementary school that is committed to developing culturally competent, critical and creative thinkers through rigorous STEAM best practices rooted in transdisciplinary problem-based learning. Our program prepares students to be competitive in the 21st century global marketplace, and to be critical and disciplined thinkers who are able to investigate problems thoroughly and effectively to understand their potential to drive meaningful and sustainable innovations.
Dear Families,
We are in the middle of an unprecedented time for education. As the novel coronavirus is spreading throughout Ohio, we are all trying to find our way through uncharted waters. Although we cannot meet face-to-face, your Herbert Mills STEAM community is here to help you!
This newsletter is long but please look through it carefully. It contains contact information, resources, and news for all our families. We will continue sending out a weekly newsletter throughout our school closure.
Third-quarter report cards were mailed out yesterday (Thursday). Please contact your child's teacher(s) directly with any report card questions or concerns.
Please note that because next week is our regularly-scheduled spring break, our staff will be spending quality time with their families. They will be available to connect with you again on Monday, March 30.
We hope you are all staying safe and healthy!
Mrs. Mary Ellen Weeks
Principal
Staying Connected
Herbert Mills STEAM E-Mail Addresses
- Mrs. Weeks, Principal - maryellen.weeks@reyn.org
- Mr. Cracraft, Assistant Principal - ccracraft@reyn.org
Student Services
- Ms. Lee, School Psychologist - destiny.lee@reyn.org
- Mrs. Casperson, Social Worker - heather.casperson@reyn.org
Homeroom Teachers
- Mrs. Cotner, Kindergarten - tcotner@reyn.org
- Mrs. Deiderich, Kindergarten - rdeiderich@reyn.org
- Mrs. Cripe, 1st Grade - ccripe@reyn.org
- Mrs. Hutson, 1st Grade - shaina.hutson@reyn.org
- Mrs. Murnen, 1st Grade - andrea.murnen@reyn.org
- Mrs. Rittenour, 1st Grade - caroline.rittenour@reyn.org
- Mrs. Anderson, 2nd Grade - tanderson@reyn.org
- Miss Buton, 2nd Grade - alexis.buton@reyn.org
- Ms. Martz, 2nd Grade - tracy.martz@reyn.org
- Mrs. Watkins, 2nd Grade - lavanya.watkins@reyn.org
- Mrs. Ferguson, 3rd Grade (math & science) - aferguson@reyn.org
- Mrs. Forino, 3rd Grade (language arts & social studies) - aforino@reyn.org
- Miss McMannis, 3rd Grade (math & science) - amcmannis@reyn.org
- Miss Zambrano, 3rd Grade (language arts & social studies) - ariel.zambrano@reyn.org
- Mrs. Cram, 4th Grade (math & science) - ronda.cram@reyn.org
- Mrs. Hawley, 4th Grade (language arts & social studies) - ahawley@reyn.org
- Ms. Mooney, 4th Grade (math & science) - rachel.mooney@reyn.org
- Mrs. Taylor, 4th Grade (language arts & social studies) - denise.taylor@reyn.org
Intervention Teachers
- Mrs. Boss, Intervention - mboss@reyn.org
- Ms. Cooper, English Language Learners - kcooper@reyn.org
- Mrs. Davis, Intervention - mary.davis@reyn.org
- Mrs. Dippold, Intervention - heather.dippold@reyn.org
- Mrs. Holdren, English Language Learners - arielle.holdren@reyn.org
- Mrs. Schmitz, Structured Communication Learning Center - tiffany.schmitz@reyn.org
- Mrs Stevens, Title I Reading & Math - kstevens@reyn.org
- Mrs. Swartz, Speech Pathologist & Literacy Coach - melissa.swartz@reyn.org
Special Area Teachers
- Mr. Ashton, Music - sashton@reyn.org
- Mrs. Gochenour, Physical Education - agochenour@reyn.org
- Ms. Li, Chinese - shan.li@reyn.org
- Miss Sherman, Innovation Coach (ICE Lab) - tonya.sherman@reyn.org
Support Staff
- Mrs. Messick, Library Paraprofessional - mary.messick@reyn.org
- Mrs. Murdock, Title 1 Paraprofessional - amurdock@reyn.org
- Mrs. Peppers, Structured Communication Learning Center Paraprofessional - latalia.peppers@reyn.org
- Mrs. Russell, School Secretary - jenny.russell@reyn.org
- Mr. Ward, Educational Paraprofessional - monte.ward@reyn.org
Free Internet Access from Spectrum
Spectrum has announced that beginning on Monday, March 16, for the next two months they will be making broadband and Wi-Fi available to K-12 student households who do not already subscribe to Spectrum's broadband service.
If you are interested in enrolling, please call Spectrum directly at 1-844-488-8395.
Educational Resources for Families
bit.ly/ReynHomeLearning for lots of helpful links!
Mrs. Casperson, our amazing Herbert Mills STEAM social worker, has also designed a Facebook page to share resources and stay connected with families and students. Please like her page at "Mrs. Casperson's Corner" on Facebook.
Hi First Grade Families,
We are thinking of you all during this difficult time and understand that this is a big adjustment for you and your family. We want you all to know we are here to help you through this. We would like your child to continue working on reading and math each day. This might look different for all families but it is important to continue learning through all of this. We will be posting new activities on SeeSaw each day. Please make sure you are checking in with your child’s teacher each week. Send us some pictures on Dojo! We’d love to see your progress on your at-home habitat design challenge. Check out Parker’s boa from the rainforest. Make sure your child is practicing their fast facts and reading fluency as well. Stay healthy!
Dear Third Graders and Families,
We miss you! Please try to check Seesaw daily for messages from us. Check out the read-aloud challenge assigned by Miss Zambrano and Mrs. Forino on Seesaw. Don’t forget to get your Reflex green light daily and check iReady Math for assignments from Mrs. Ferguson and Miss McMannis!
Our Herbert Mills STEAM 4th graders worked on the practice AIR math and reading this week. We also asked our students to read for 30 minutes each day and respond to the text. All students are able to access on-line books through EPIC. Please contact your child’s reading teacher if he/she is unable to access this site.
Students have a DAILY MATH Assignment in Seesaw to complete each day.
Students should be working on REFLEX and iReady math daily (2 lessons need to be passed). There is also a science review included in your educational packet which can also be found on Mrs. Cram/Ms. Mooney’s Seesaw page.
If you are looking for additional things for your child to do, iReady reading is available to all students.
First and Second Grades
We're working on the Mary Chapin Carpenter song "Halley Came to Jackson" and the "Solar System Song" (at https://youtu.be/F2prtmPEjOc) (there are 8 planets in the solar system -there are 5 dwarf planets in the solar system).
Third and Fourth Grades
We're working on Schoolhouse Rock songs "The Preamble" and "I'm Just a Bill."
Keep on singing!
Hello Herbert Mills STEAM Tiger Families,
I hope this letter finds you and your families well. I know that you normally have Physical Education class with me once each week. I challenge you to change your workout to a daily workout schedule! In your school packet, I have given you a variety of activities to try. You might not be able do them all, but try as many of them as you can. If you do not have your packet yet, I have posted a copy of it to Twitter. Classroom teachers also included it in digital packets and emails they have sent to you.
I encourage your child to get outside, play, create their own challenges and be active for 60 minutes each day...the more they move, the more energy they use and the less likely they will be to pester their siblings...or even worse you!
Each week, I would like your child to fill out the journal on the back of Gochenour’s Fitness Challenge worksheet. I am simply wanting my students to log their physical activity each week (writing a sentence or two of what exercise they did that day and for how long). If you want to take pictures or videos to share with me I would love to see what you and your children are doing at home. Feel free to send pictures, videos, questions, concerns or great things that you have found on the internet that I can share with others to agochenour@reyn.org or share with me @AmyGoch on Twitter.
Take care and talk to you soon!
STEAM Activities You Can Do at Home (from Miss Sherman in the ICE Lab!)
Science
Have you ever wondered who invented pizza? Can animals laugh? Or why we get hiccups? You can find the answers to all your questions at Mystery Science! As children across the globe are learning from home, Mystery Science has stepped up to help out. They are providing many free lessons and activities for students to do at home. You can find these at the following link: https://mysteryscience.com/school-closure-planning - hppy discovering!
Technology
Take a virtual field trip! You can still “visit” the zoo while you’re stuck at home! Home Safari Facebook Lives hosted by our very own Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden will be held seven days a week at 3:00pm. Visit http://cincinnatizoo.org/news-releases/cincinnati-zoo-is-bringing-the-zoo-to-you/ for more information.
Engineering
Click on the picture to enlarge the 30 Day LEGO Challenge!
Art
This is a great time to let your creative side run wild! There are so many great art videos available for kids! So, grab your paper, markers, crayons, colored pencils, paints, or any other art tool of your choice and get drawing! Check out Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems (Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus): https://www.kennedy-center.org/mowillems and show us the artist you are! Post your work to our Twitter page @HMSTEAMtigers to get some likes!
Mathematics
Looking for more math support for your child? There are many online math programs available to families for free during their extended time at home. Check out Dreambox - your kid will feel like they’re playing a game while they’re learning math skills!
Dreambox: https://www.dreambox.com/at-home
Dreambox provides three different learning environments based on your child’s grade level to help them learn state standards!
Herbert Mills STEAM on Twitter
@HMSTEAMtigers
Mrs. Weeks - @mrsmeweeks
Mr. Cracraft - @mrCracraft
Mrs. Russell - @mrsrussellhm
Mrs. Boss - @MrsBossHM
Miss Buton - @MissButon
Mrs. Cotner - @cotnerstigers
Mrs. Davis - @MsHennosy
Mrs. Deiderich - @kinderdeiderich
Mrs. Dippold - @MrsDippold
Mrs. Ferguson - @MrsFergsClass
Mrs. Forino - @MrsForino
Mrs. Gochenour - @AmyGoch
Mrs. Hutson - @MrsHutsonsClass
Miss McMannis - @MissMcMannis
Ms. Mooney - @MsRachelMooney
Mrs. Rittenour - @mrsrittenour
Miss Sherman - @MissSherman5
Mrs. Taylor - @MrsTaylorReyn
Miss Zambrano - @MissZambrano1
@ReynSchools
Mr. Brown, RCS Superintendent - @REYNSup
Mrs. Brower, RCS K-4 Early Literacy - @MrsMiaBrower
Did You Know?
About Us
Email: maryellen.weeks@reyn.org
Website: http://www.reyn.org/herbertmillselementary_home.aspx
Location: 6826 Retton Road, Reynoldsburg, OH, USA
Phone: (614) 367-2160
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Herbert-Mills-STEAM-Elementary-School-182252721956795/
Twitter: @HMSTEAMTigers