Weekly Newsletter
January 20, 2022
News from Principal Emma Liebowitz
Events/Calendar:
January 18 - 21 - Warm Clothing Drive
Wednesday, January 19 - 1:50 Dismissal
Monday, Janury 24 - LEC at 3:15
Wednesday, January 26 - 1:50 Dismissal
Link to Sanderson Academy calendar.
Health Office News from Nurse Loranna
Greetings from the health office!
Please continue to let me know if your child has been exposed to covid outside of school, such as from a family member or friend so that I can establish the proper plan for their return to school. If your child has any symptoms, please let me know so we can come up with a plan for their return to school. Pooled testing results are now taking about 48 hours, if you do not hear from me you can assume their test was negative. Any testing I do at school for the test to stay program you should get an email with the results, I will only call if there is a positive result.
Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions regarding close contact notification, test to stay program and recent changes to the covid guidelines- I welcome your call/email and absolutely want to keep everyone as informed as possible. Thank you!
Preschool News from Mrs. Freeman
Preschoolers are learning about rectangles, squares, circles, and triangles. We plan to use these basic shapes to create shape collages, snow people, and other works of art. We will use a variety of art tools and materials which will help strengthen our fine motor skills! We will have fun learning about shapes by singing songs, playing games, and going on Shape Walks to notice shapes all around us!
The photo shows the start of a mural in our classroom. Notice the shapes of the penguins.
Preschool News from Ms. Melanie
We had our first sledding day of the season recently—what fun! We found a perfect spot with just enough hill for a good, satisfying ride. After each exhilarating ride down, our preschoolers worked in teams to bring their sleds back up—with our older classmates helping our younger ones with good cheer and camaraderie. After our most recent snowfall, we began building a snow fort using large chunks of icy-topped snow. The crusty snow broke easily under our feet into large chunks just right for building. In a short time, we had built the first two walls and we are eager to return to work on it some more.
Inside, we are talking about what animals do in winter—do they hibernate, migrate, or adapt? Hibernation is the focus this week and we have been enjoying stories and activities that help us identify which animals might be sleeping this cold winter away.
Kindergarten News from Ms. Sarah
In social studies, we started a unit on Economics. Our first focus was learning about wants versus needs with things that we buy. To put needs in perspective, we compared human needs to those of our pets. We read a book about a boy who wanted cooler sneakers and discussed if this was a want or a need. Then we did a sorting activity to compare wants and needs. We found that whether something is a want or a need sometimes depends on the situation--like someone might want a bike for fun or they may need a bike to ride to work.
First Grade News from Mrs. Wyckoff
First graders were introduced to Polli during our January Number Corner. Polli is Tad's younger sister. Our friend Tad (Ten Adds a Decade) helps us count by 10s and has taught us what a decade is. Each time we add ten school days Tad hops to the next multiple of ten. Tad’s younger sister is much smaller (and is learning how to count!) and can only make smaller hops of 5, so she is helping us learn how to count by 5s. To keep the practice going, first graders played a game of Buzz. First graders sit in a circle and begin counting by 1, each time we land on a multiple of 5 (5,10,15,20…) or 10 (10,20,30…) that student says “buzz” This also helped us notice that every number TAD hops to, Polli also hops on and we have learned that these are called multiples. First graders are also getting pretty quick with identifying which number is greater than or less then. During morning meeting our activity had kids stand up and were given two numbers for example 15 & 5. First graders used their arms to form the greater than symbol by pointing to the left to show that “fifteen is greater than 5.” This was a fun way to get us moving and practicing some skills! Try it at home!
Second Grade News from Ms. Robertson
This week we learned about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as the class had a couple of books about the life of Dr. King read aloud to them. My Brother Martin by Christine King Farris and Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport provided us with an overview of Dr. King’s life and taught us that Dr. King used peaceful ways, such as speeches and marches, to make the world a better place. We also discussed how Dr. King believed that people cannot know what we are like or what kind of person we are just by looking at us. When people look at us, they will see our physical traits, such as hair color, hair length, eye color, height, and skin color. But they will not know our favorite color, what we want to be when we grow up, or if we are a good friend to others. This discussion served as an introduction to the idea that some people had certain rights, such as being able to eat at a certain restaurant or play at a certain park, while other people did not, based on the color of their skin. We ended our mini-unit on Dr. King by reading a Scholastic News article called “We’re in This Together”, where we learned new vocabulary words, such as segregation and protest. We also learned that it is easier to make the world a better place by working together. To build upon what we learned about Dr. King from our read-alouds, Scholastic News, and discussions, families can discuss with their child what dreams they might have to make the world a better place.
Third Grade News from Ms. Carole
As many New Englanders know, wintertime is a wonderful time to get comfortable with a good book and enjoy being cozy in an alternate world. While we do occasionally have time on the schedule for independent reading, it is also something third graders do spontaneously when they have extra time in the room. It can be for just a few minutes (for example, when waiting for the bus announcement) or for over half an hour. Once a third grader finishes reading a book, he or she writes a book review, which is later shared with the class. Book reviews are a great way for students to recommend the books they’ve read to their peers based on interests or inclinations, and they hang on our classroom walls for others to see and enjoy as well. When you get a minute, check in with your student and ask them what they’ve been reading and sharing with the class. It is a joy when I look around the room and see students happily engrossed in the world of printed books of their own choosing!
Fourth Grade News from Mrs. Lagoy
We are beginning a new unit in our math program. Students will be learning all about fractions and decimals.In this unit your child will: ❚ Compare fractions with like and unlike denominators ❚ Locate fractions on a number line ❚ Add and subtract fractions with like and unlike denominators ❚ Identify equivalent fractions and decimals ❚ Compare decimal numbers Your child will learn and practice these skills by solving problems like those shown below.
Fifth Grade News from Ms. Johnson
In Fifth grade, students have been continuing with their memoirs. Most recently students have been learning and reviewing about paragraphing. They have been learning to make new paragraphs when there is a change in event, time, place, when someone new is speaking, and for an important idea that needs space around it. We used a past read aloud that used this last technique a lot to see many examples of it. Now students are practicing paragraphing and editing their writing for paragraphs.
Sixth Grade News from Mrs. Lilly
Wow! We have some amazing cereal box book reports that have been completed. This has been such a fun project for the sixth graders to complete. The students have really shown their creative side. We also finished up a project about what we learned from our plate tectonics unit. Again, the class was really able to let their creative side shine!
News from Ms. Prew
We tend to spend a lot more time indoors this time of year compared to other seasons. A great way to spend some time as a family, and encourage real-life math learning, is to play cards! Check out this website - it has 28 ideas for math-themed card games. Let me know which games you try out - I would love to hear! :) aprew@mtrsd.org
News from Mrs. Morey
During this time all students will be assessed by either their classroom teacher, or one of the intervention staff to check in on how their literacy skills are progressing. This assessment, DIBELS, is made up of several one minute sub skill tests which are indicators/predictors for how your child’s reading is progressing. Information is gathered and discussed with teams to provide instructional groupings and intervention as needed. If you would like any more information on this assessment or if you have any questions, feel free to contact me at kmorey@mtrsd.org
Art News from Ms. Hawthorne
We will be submitting another order to Original Works on January 31st. This is for anyone who missed the first order, or who wants to order more items from your first order. Your order number is on your original receipt. Here is the link to the parent portal from Original Works. You can email me or call the school if you need to know your previous order number. We have a copy of the receipts. We also have catalogs and order forms if you would like one for new or second orders. Checks are made out to Sanderson Academy PTO. chawthorne@mtrsd.org
From the Ashfield Park Commission
The Ashfield Park Commission is looking for input. They are looking for community support and input as they plan for the next decade for the Ashfield Beach and Park. Please complete the survey by following this LINK.
Community Event
What is a Trailblazer?
This virtual event is open to all current families and those considering MTRS for the future. Folks are invited to come and learn directly from students about the innovations to education that Mohawk Trail is practicing. It will include an overview of the Trailblazer Model and students will lead a session answering questions about what it looks and feels like to be a Trailblazer at MTRS. Space is limited, please RSVP to reserve your space and submit your questions to cbuckland@mtrsd.org.
About Us
Email: eliebowitz@mtrsd.org
Website: https://sanderson.mohawktrailschools.org/
Location: 808 Cape Street, Ashfield, MA, USA
Phone: (413) 628-4404
Facebook: facebook.com/SandersonAcademy