Old Mill Pond News
December 2018
Kindergarten News
We will be solving math stories using addition and subtract, decomposing numbers 8= (1,7) (7,1) (5,3) (3,5) and working with the number 5 and adding some more. 5 plus 2 more =7, 5 plus 5 more =10.
Happy December from Grade 1! What a wonderful time of the year!
Over the next few weeks, first grade will be finishing up the second unit of our new reading series Wonders, entitled Our Community. Students have explored stories dealing with different types of jobs, buildings, nature, helping others and finding our way around using maps. Students are learning to take notes as they read and using these notes to retell the story and also to respond to their reading in writing.
In math, we are working in our first module of Eureka Math. Students are sharpening their number sense, continually practicing addition and subtraction, decomposing numbers, and solving various types of word problems.
A few dates to remember:
*December 6- parent teacher conferences
*December 14- cinnamon ornaments 9:00-10:00
Please consider helping out with this very festive activity.
*December 20- Christmas concert
5th Grade News
As the holiday season approaches we are starting to prepare for our 5th grade holiday fun craft day! In order for this to happen supplies will be needed for some of the crafts. If you could possibly pick up an item or two from the list below, to share this would relieve some of the teachers expense as funds tend to get tight at this time of the year for everyone. We have 120 5th grade students to help create decorations that may be used as gifts for those they wish to share with at home. Thank you in advance for all your donations. Please send all donations in to Mrs. Wilk or Mrs. Abel as these are the two classrooms requesting supplies. If all supplies could be in by December 11th then we can take an inventory of what we need to purchase.
Holiday Tissue paper
Toilet tissue rolls
Cotton balls
Google eyes (we need two sizes approx. ½, and ⅛)
Cotton swabs
Red pipe cleaners
Black pom poms ( ½ and ¼)
Gold cording
Red felt
White batting
Gray felt
Gray pipe cleaners
White pom poms (approx. ¼)
⅛ inch red ribblon
ELA
During the month of December, we will be working on Unit 2 of Wonders. The “Big Idea” for this unit is, “What does it take to put a plan into action?” While exploring the big idea by utilizing multiple genres, students will be focusing on the following skills: problem and solution, compare and contrast, and sequencing. Please look for more detailed ELA information in our weekly newsletter.
Don’t forget what’s available online! You can check out the portal for the most updated information on grades. You can also log into https://my.mheducation.com to access Wonders reading selections, worksheets, and games at home.
Read 180
During the month of December, in the Read 180 classroom, we will be finishing up our opinion essay on “Do you feel it is humane or inhumane to keep animals in a zoo?”, we will also be working on our Scholastic Reading Inventory Test, and then finally starting our new workshop unit on “Food: The Good, The Bad, and The Gross.” I am very excited to begin our new unit and look forward to some very interesting reading (and maybe eating!)
Science and Social Studies
In science, we have been learning about the water cycle. We are finishing up the Mystery Science lesson “Watery World.” How much water is on Earth? How much of that water is available to us? What do people do who have no fresh water close by? Students will write a story, “My Life as a Drop,” to show how a drop of water can move through the hydrosphere.
In social studies we will begin a project on the Thirteen Colonies. The focus will be on self-government, and how this led to a desire for the Colonies to come together as one country.
Math
We have completed our first Module in Engage NY. This was a very long and skill intensive unit. Students have worked very hard on adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing decimals along with rounding, place-value, and measurement conversions in the metric system. The second module will encompass differing strategies for multiplication and division of decimal numbers. We will continue to reinforce both of these concepts by utilizing our place value knowledge and skills. Please continue to practice multiplication and division facts at home as they are essential to our students success.
Six Flags Six Hour Reading Program
OMP will once again be participating in the Six Flags Six Hour Reading Program this year. This program allows all students in Grades K-6 to earn a free day pass to Six Flags News England that can be used next summer. To participate, a student needs to log 6 hours of reading from now to February and turn in a completed log by Thursday, Feb. 14th. Tickets are then sent to the school in the spring and sent home with students in May. Many homeroom teachers included logs in the first quarter report card envelopes, but if your child did not receive one the link is below. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s homeroom teachers or Mrs. Ivy Peritz-Smith, Program Coordinator, at iperitz-smith@palmerschools.org. Happy reading!
OMP Six Flags Six Hour Reading Log - Deadline Thursday, Feb. 14th
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B97wsxKAHX0cRnVWeEZ3OUEtWUx5S0xVUkFUTGpCMDhsN3dF/view?usp=sharing
Food and Toy Drive
December Technology
December is HOUR OF CODE Month! The week of December 3-7 all students at Old Mill Pond will have an opportunity to do a modified version of “Hour of Code”. Our classes are only 40 minutes long!
The Hour of Code started as a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify "code", to show that anybody can learn the basics, and to broaden participation in the field of computer science. It has since become a worldwide effort to celebrate computer science, starting with 1-hour coding activities but expanding to all sorts of community efforts. Check out the tutorials and activities.
Our school will use some of the materials The Hour of Code website offers. Students will use the following page to access hour of code activities: Hour of Code. If you are interested in your students to work on coding at home please feel free to use this document and explore away!
Every student that participates will receive an Hour of Code sticker!
Grade 3 Volunteer Chorus at Palmer Historical Cultural Center Christmas Tree Lighting
Saturday, Dec 8, 2018, 01:00 PM
2072 Main Street, Three Rivers, MA, USA
Dates to Remember
Tuesday, December 4 - School Banking; Picture Retakes
Thursday, December 6 - Parent/Teacher Conferences; 4:30-7:30pm
Saturday, December 8 - Grade 3 Volunteer Chorus at Palmer Historical Cultural Center, 1pm
Friday, December 14 - Food and Toy Donations Due
Monday, December 17 - Kindergarten Winter Concert
Tuesday, December 18 - School Banking
Wednesday, December 19 - Winter Concert, Grades 3-5
Thursday, December 20 - Winter Concert, Grades 1-2
Monday, December 24 - Tuesday, January 1 - Christmas Recess
Friday, December 28 - Family Swim Night, PHS, 6-8pm
Hi OMP Families,
In 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade PE classes we are learning how to play Teamhand Ball. The students are learning the strategies of move to open spaces and playing man to man defensive. I am proud of each student in the amount of participation they have put in and the games have been well played. Starting in January we will begin to explore Volleyball.
Congratulations to all the students who earned Novembers PBIS Fun Day in the gym. The students had to make their way through a obstacle course.
I am always looking to broaden my curriculum so that your children can experience new and exciting activities. My goal is develop more individual/lifetime sports activities in my curriculum. Unfortunately the cost for equipment to start new activities is extremely expensive, so I am looking for your help. If you or anyone you know could donate used golf club that you do not use to the school I would sincerely appreciate it. Feel free to contact me if you have questions or donations at 413-283-4300 ext 1311 or through my email (dpetit@palmerschools.org).
Lastly, please make sure your child wears his/her sneakers on their Physical Education day.
Thank you,
Dave Petit
Physical Education Teacher
Old Mill Pond