Old Mill Pond News
May 2019
Class Picture Reminder
Thank you!
April was Occupational Therapy Month!
It was celebrated with a wonderful bulletin board that featured examples of how success is achieved with the support of OT in the school. We have Mrs. Coulombe COTA/L to thank for this bulletin board. She also created Sensory Pathways out in the playground areas to encourage organized play and movement activities. These pathways were temporary, using sidewalk chalk BUT we hope to create more permanent pathways in the near future.
The OT Dept., THANKS YOU all of you, who support us daily so that we can provide access to learning through purposeful activities here in the Palmer Schools.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Prescott OTR/L
Mrs. Coulombe COTA/L
Hello and Happy Spring!
As the nice weather is here (when it decides not to rain), I would love to bring my classes outside for PE! However, this will depend on the condition of the field and/or playground that particular day. To be prepared to go outside, please have your child/children come with the following: sneakers, a light jacket if needed, and a hat or sunglasses if they are sensitive to the sun.
And remember, we are striving to be safe, kind, and positive teammates!
Happy Moving,
Miss Bechthold
PE Teacher (K-2)
Kindergarten News
This month in ELA, our new theme is How Can You Help at Home. Our new sight words for this month are help, too, has, play, look, & where . We are continuing to blend and segment CVC words. All vowels and consonants will be reviewed. Students will now be introduced to long vowels.
In math, we continue to work on addition and subtraction sentences, composing and decomposing numbers. Teen numbers will also be reviewed. Can your child count to 100? That is a kindergarten goal.
We will be learning about force and motion(push and pull) during science. We will also study the life cycle of a seed and a butterfly.
Let's hope to see many May flowers and SUNSHINE after all these April showers we have had!
First Grade News
Hello Families,
We hope you are enjoying the start of the warmer weather! In May, we will start a new unit in reading and math. Reading will focus on the Big Idea, “How can we make sense of the world around us?” We will be exploring concepts such as classifying and categorizing things, what we can see in the sky, inventions that we know about, sounds we can hear and how they are made, and how things get built.
In math, we will be starting Module 4. Module 4 builds upon Module 2’s work with place value within 20, now focusing on the role of place value in the addition and subtraction of numbers to 40. Students will study, organize, and manipulate numbers within 40. They will compare quantities and begin using the symbols for greater than (>) and less than (<). Addition and subtraction of tens is another focus of this module as is the use of familiar strategies to add two-digit and single-digit numbers within 40. Near the end of the module, the focus moves to new ways to represent larger quantities and adding like place value units as students add two-digit numbers.
Grade 2 News
Happy May!!
As the flowers bloom in Spring, our students Bloom into almost 3rd graders! They have grown and changed so much this year, we are almost to the end! This month in 2nd grade we are working on unit 5 in our reading Wonders program. This unit focuses on cooperation and getting along with others. We will also be working on story structure, vocabulary, comprehension strategies, and spelling patterns. Please remember READ with your child for 20 MINUTES EVERY NIGHT! In math we are working on modules 5 and 6. These units continue our addition and subtraction strategies into the hundreds. We will also be working on arrays and repeated addition. By the end of 2nd grade ALL STUDENTS SHOULD BE FLUENT IN ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION WITHIN 20! PLEASE PRACTICE MATH FACTS WITH YOUR CHILD DAILY!! If they know their facts solidly going into 3rd grade it will be much easier for them! Last but not least, May brings our end of year testing schedule. Students will be taking the STAR reading and math assessments and DIBELS this month.
Third Grade Thoughts
Happy May! It is hard to believe the year is coming to an end! May is a month filled with fun activities in third grade. Many classes will be starting to learn about the American Revolution, as well as starting our research projects on animals.
Our Third Grade class will be visiting Old Sturbridge Village on Friday, May 24th. Each class will be looking for a couple of parent volunteers to chaperone. If this interests you, please check the box on the permission slip. We will select chaperones from a hat and notify those selected. Thank you for your interest!
Did you Know?
On the Palmer Schools website there is a link in the technology teacher’s (Mrs. Lennon’s) webpage that will lead you to many different educational websites and apps appropriate for your child! There are links to fun multiplication and division games to assist students in mastering their facts. Students should master their facts (0-12) prior to fourth grade. Please remember to study during the summer as well!
Hello 4th grade families!
May Newsletter - 5th Grade
Congratulations to our 5th graders on the great effort they gave to their ELA MCAS exams on April 3rd and 4th. We will continue our testing on May 1st and 2nd for math and on May 9th and 10th for science.
Plans continue to come together for our May 24th field trip. Students should return their permission slips and $9 payment by May 17th. An extra copy of the permission slip is on the portal.
Along with the field trip, we are also working with Mrs. North, PHS Principal, to coordinate a 5th grade Step Up where students will have a chance to tour PHS, meet some of the teachers, and find out important information regarding next year. This will be for students only, and most likely will take place in June.
A huge thank you to all those who participated in the Light-bulb Fundraiser, as the entire amount was donated to our field trip fund. This helped to lower the cost for all students. A very big thank you to Mr. Kellaher for all the time and energy he put forth organizing this!!!
Dates to Remember:
Wed., May 1st & Thurs., May 2nd - 5th grade Math MCAS
Thurs., May 9th & Fri., May 10th - 5th grade Science MCAS
Wed., May 15th - Progress Reports
Fri., May 24th - 5th Grade Field Trip (Interskate 91 Science Show & Skating)
Mon., May 27th - No School - Memorial Day
June TBD - Step Up to High School
June 17th- Last Day of School
May Dates to Remember
Monday, May 6 - PTO Meeting, 6pm
May 8 and 9 - Grade 5 Science MCAS
Tuesday, May 14 - School Banking
Wednesday, May 15 - Progress Reports Issued
Friday, May 17 - OMP Making the Band Musical, PHS
Tuesday, May 21 - Grade 1 Field Trip
Friday, May 24 - Grades 3 and 5 Field Trips
Monday, May 27 - Memorial Day, No School
Tuesday, May 28 - School Banking
Introducing: The Old Mill Pond Drama Club
Under the direction of Mrs. Rapagnola and Mrs. Kida, students from grades 4 and 5, have been busy preparing a musical performance for the debut of the new OMP Drama Club. The actors will take us on a musical journey and exploration of the instruments of rock music and the making of a garage band. The show “MAKING THE BAND” features fresh, fun arrangements of classic rock tunes that we will all recognize and enjoy. Music includes tunes from Bon Jovi, Elton John, Ben E King and more.
The show will be performed in the Palmer High School Auditorium on Friday, May 17th at 7pm. Tickets are $5 per adult and $3 per student at the door.