South Elementary Family Newsletter
Volume #6 February, 2024
Message from the Principals
Dear South Families,
Happy February! This is a special month filled with love, friendship, and connection. It is also the shortest month, even though this year it is 29 days and includes a Leap Year, so it will go by quickly. Additionally, February is Black History Month in the United States, celebrating the contributions and achievements of African Americans. In keeping with these themes, we will continue to work on spreading kindness and being good friends all year, but especially during February. Coming up, we have a whole school assembly, Ned's Mindset Mission, about encouraging others and not giving up, as well as a 5th grade presentation for Black History Month. The skills we will be targeting from our PRIDE traits over the next four weeks (Perseverance; Respect; Independence; Diversity/Equity/Inclusion; and Empathy) will help us with these important goals. They are : showing respect, working as a team, and joining in a conversation.
Additionally, we are excited to share that we have 9 new student teachers/interns from area colleges who started in January for this term! Area colleges include Bridgewater State University, Bristol Community College, UMASS Dartmouth, and Merrimack College. We have been working on cultivating more student teachers and interns in our school and it has paid off. The students are listed below. In addition, we want to welcome Mrs. Suzanne Pettine to Grade 3, as Mrs. Jennifer Alberto Lopes has transitioned to a Special Educator position at South to assist us with our growing needs. We are proud to share our wonderful staff with developing educators and are grateful for the support of these added resources.
Student Teachers/Interns: Ashley Jones (KF/1B); Kenzie Hill (Speech); Emily Horton (2T); Mia Almeida (KF); Victoria Evans (1B); Aurora Dumont (1G); and, Meghan Suarez (KB); 2 nursing interns
We have passed the halfway mark of the school year and are quickly approaching our 100th Day of School! Daylight is lasting a little longer which always helps during the darker days of winter. Today (2/1) was the first day that sunrise was before 7AM and it keeps us hopeful that spring will be here soon. Students and staff alike will be keeping an eye out for what the Groundhog tells us tomorrow. Please see the 2024 MCAS calendar for South Elementary School under Parent Resources so you are aware of those important dates coming up in April/May. In closing, we hope to see you at the Valentine's Dance on Friday, February 9!
With Aloha,
Steph Brown and Rebecca Hurley
508-324-3180
Mark Your Calendars
Thursday, February 1-Papa Gino's Night, 869 GAR Hwy, Somerset- 4-9PM-Mention South School when you please your order. For online orders, enter Code 19 at the payment screen and click redeem. South School PTO gets 20% of orders.
School Committee Meeting @ 6:30PM, SBRHS Library
Tuesday, February 6th-PTO Mtg @ 6PM @ South School Cafegymatorium
Friday, February 9- Sweetheart Dance at South School *pls see below in PTO section for more detailed info
The dance will be in 2 sessions to accommodate capacity.
Session 1: Grades K-2 is 5PM-6PM
Session 2: Grades 3-5 is 6:30PM-7:45PM
- Tickets are $5 per person through Cheddar Up onlly. Chaperones attending both dances only need to pay for one admission. Purchase tickets here:
Wednesday, February 14-Valentine's Day-Wear Red, Pink, or White to Celebrate
Thursday, February 15-School Committee Meeting @ 6:30PM, SBRHS Library
Monday, February 19-Friday, February 23-No School-Winter Vacation
Thursday,,February 29-Happy Leap Year!
From Mrs. H., School Adjustment Counselor
Dear Parents, Guardians, and Students,
I hope this newsletter finds you well and enjoying the start of February!
February is known for Valentine's Day, but it's also a great time to focus on kindness. Our school has been celebrating Kindness Month, encouraging students to perform acts of kindness both in and out of the classroom. Teachers continue to incorporate kindness-themed activities into the curriculum, fostering a positive and supportive environment. During our Cricket Celebration on Friday the 26th, the 5th Graders shared many kindness ideas and we read the I Promise book, by Lebron James. We are all promising to try our best and work hard and not give up on ourselves. All of our students will be receiving their own copy.
Book of the Month: "The Power of Yet"
Our featured book for February is "The Power of Yet" by Carol S. Dweck. This empowering story teaches children about the importance of having a growth mindset and the belief that with effort and perseverance, they can achieve anything. We encourage parents to read this book with their children and discuss its valuable lessons.
February Celebration and Awareness Dates
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
LGBT HISTORY MONTH
SPAY/NEUTER AWARENESS MONTH
BOOST YOUR SELF ESTEEM MONTH
Children’s Mental Health Week Feb 5-11
HEART MONTH IN THE USA
National Freedom Day Feb 1
Time to Talk Day
Do a Grouch a Favor Day Feb. 16
Random Acts of Kindness Day Feb. 17
National Love your pet Day Feb. 20
As always, feel free to reach out if you have any questions, concerns, or if your child could benefit from additional support. Together, we can have a successful and positive experience for our students.
Always in your corner,
Cecilia Huard, LMHC
School Adjustment Counselor
From Ms. Bertrand, School Nurse
WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?
Butterflies in Your Stomach
How did butterflies get in your stomach? Well, those aren’t really butterflies in there! “Butterflies in the stomach” is a way of describing those nervous, fluttery feelings you might get before a test or an important game. An imaginative writer created the phrase to describe the feeling, and people have been using it ever since.
These tummy flutters are normal and happen to many people – even grown-ups! Some people believe having a few “butterflies” might even help you perform better by keeping you on your toes!
Sick as a Dog
If you’ve been very sick, you may have used this expression. Because dogs eat just about anything they find, they often get sick. So, it’s fitting to describe someone who is not feeling well as being “sick as a dog.” Arf
Under the Weather
When it’s gray and rainy out, does that affect how you feel? This expression comes from the idea that bad weather might hurt a person’s health and mood. The saying also may be related to “under the weather bow,” the part of a boat that will take the force of rough seas during stormy weather. If you were in this part of the boat, you might get seasick!
Shape Up or Ship Out
If someone says this to you, it means it’s time to make a change. Your behavior or performance isn’t living up to expectations.
This command was first used in the U.S. military during World War II. When a soldier was told to “shape up or ship out,” it meant that he needed to do a better job or he’d be shipped overseas to a combat zone. The expression started being used after the war with any kind of poor performance or bad attitude. It means get it together – or get out!
Obtained from KidsHealth.org
From Our Amazing PTO!
PTO’s February Newsletter
Upcoming Events: Mark your Calendars!
Thursday, February 1st: Papa Gino’s Night 4PM-9PM
869 GAR Highway, Somerset
Walk-in or phone orders: Mention this fundraiser when you place your order for South School to get the credit for your order.
Online Orders: Enter Code 19 at the payment screen and click redeem.
South School earns 20% of orders!
Tuesday, February 6th PTO Meeting
South School Cafe at 6PM
This meeting will recap the year so far and discuss upcoming events.
Friday, February 9th: Sweetheart Dance at South School
The dance will be in 2 sessions to accommodate capacity.
Session 1: Grades K-2 is 5PM-6PM
Session 2: Grades 3-5 is 6:30PM-7:45PM
Tickets are $5 per person. Chaperones attending both dances only need to pay for one admission. https://somersetsouthelementarypto-181.mycheddarup.com/
Purchase admission on Cheddar Up. No physical tickets will be administered. The PTO will have a check in table and a printout of purchases from Cheddar Up.
Students may not be dropped at this event and students can only attend the session for their grade level.
PTO Review and Updates:
New Event Coordinator:
The PTO would like to welcome Melanie Ferriera to the board as one of the Event Coordinators! It’s great to have her!
Fun Run Fundraiser
The PTO has allotted $5,000.00 to administration to go towards the South School Playground.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the Fun Run!
Contact PTO
Follow South Elementary PTO on Facebook for updates and information!
Parent Resources
February Lunch Menu: please click HERE.
Click HERE for February Read Aloud Books for Elementary Students
Click HERE for 2024 MCAS Dates
Click HERE for a 100s Chart to help count to 100, add, subtract, and notice number patterns.
Click HERE for an Alphabet Linking Chart to help your child match sounds and letters when writing/reading.
Somerset Public Schools, SY' 23-24 Calendar: please click HERE
KINDERGARTEN
GRADE 1
The first graders are becoming readers, writers, mathematicians, athletes, artists, computer techs, musicians and healthcare workers. They are well on their way to becoming newly appointed second graders. We have a lot to look forward to in the coming months, but for now...we are looking forward to longer days of sunshine!!
Ohhhh and we welcomed Mrs. Silva back!!!! WE are so happy to have her back!
GRADE 2
2024 is off to a great start in second grade! In our interactive read alouds, we have been reading various trickster tales and about humorous characters, including Tacky the Penguin, Miss Nelson, and a pair of emus! Our newest book set is an author study of Helen Lester books. In reading, we have been studying the illustrations in fiction books. In writing, we have learned how to add entertaining beginnings to our stories by using an action, a sound, dialogue, and a thought/question! We have started to learn how to add suspense into our stories using adjectives and nouns. In phonics, we are wrapping up our predictable vowel team unit. Next, we will be working on unpredictable vowel teams starting with ‘ie’. In math, our focus has been learning to tell time and count money. Up next.. 2-digit subtraction. In social studies, we have been exploring oceans and continents. Next up in science, we will continue to explore the properties of materials and matter! We also want to take this opportunity to welcome Mrs. Horton in 2nd Grade as a student teacher in 2T.
GRADE 3
Dear Third Grade Families,
The holidays are behind us and we find ourselves comforted by rituals and routines! This time of year brings fast paced learning, tremendous progress but also time to pause and fine tune areas of need. Winter benchmark testing leaves us all astounded by growth! The data shows that things are looking bright in grade 3! Number Corner activities introduce us to area and perimeter. Students are working in phonics daily to segment multisyllabic words and identify suffixes and affixes. We are working through Unit 2 in science to learn about Forces, Motion and Magnets. Our reading workshop lessons have centered around biographies, with a special focus on character traits and sequence of events. In writing, we are exploring informative writing through research, note taking and sharp organization. We are also working on improving our typing skills and becoming proficient in using Google Drive. Unfortunately, winter bugs have been hard to beat! Antibacterial wipes would be much appreciated to keep us all healthy and moving forward.
The Third Grade Team
Grade 4
STEM
We had a great start to 2024! In math, fourth grade worked to better understand mixed numbers, improper fractions, & equivalent fractions, comparing fractions with different numerators/denominators, and how to add/subtract mixed numbers with common denominators. The fourth graders have been using the egg carton model and fraction strips to support their understanding. They also used M.A.T.H. Workshop to review strategies such as the area model, ratio table, and distributive property. In science, the fourth graders started the Mystery Science unit on sound, waves, & communication. They just finished creating secret food codes by creating their own visual & sound codes! Then, we connected it to real-life, discovering how digital devices encode information to be transferred over long distances. The fourth graders also did an awesome job with all of the mid-year district assessments! We are so proud of all their hard work and growth.
ELA
In writing, we are finishing our informational writing. We are working on using test-taking strategies when testing. We have learned strategies to answer selected responses and essay questions. We know to read all the choices, eliminate ones that don’t make sense, and go back to the text for evidence. We will begin our narrative unit in writing soon! In reading, we finished our unit on historical fiction and are focusing on poetry. In phonics, we are working on simple and complex syllables. We are also focusing on morphemes. The students have done a great job using morphemes to determine the definition of words! In Social Studies, we are continuing our study on European Explorers.
Grade 5
STEM
We had a great start to 2024! In math, fifth grade worked on reading, writing, adding/subtracting, & comparing decimals to the thousandths, and place value understandings to round decimals to any place. We also reviewed adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators (including mixed numbers) by replacing fractions with equivalent fractions. In science, the fifth graders are finishing up the Mystery Science unit on Chemical Magic - understanding the difference between a physical change and a chemical change. As well as understanding the different properties created by the mixture of substances. Fifth grade had fun creating rubber goo, slime, elephant toothpaste, etc. The fifth graders also did an awesome job with all of the mid-year district assessments! We are so proud of all their hard work and growth.
ELA
In writing, we are finishing our informational writing. We are working on using test-taking strategies when testing. We have learned strategies to answer selected responses and essay questions. We know to read all the choices, eliminate ones that don’t make sense, and go back to the text for evidence. We will begin our narrative unit in writing soon! In reading, we finished our unit on historical fiction and are focusing on poetry. In phonics, we are working on simple and complex syllables. We are also focusing on morphemes. The students have done a great job using morphemes to determine the definition of words! In Social Studies, we are continuing our focus on the Revolutionary War.