Central Park East II
Week of February 8 , 2016
4th Grade Chorus Performance
Respect For All Week
Songs from 92nd Street Y
Kindergarten through 3rd graders sing these songs at the beginning and end of every concert. Have your child sing it for you.
Reaching Out to Say Hello
By: Paul Williams
We’re reaching out to say hello
In many, many different ways
I’ll sing it and you sing it back
Hello to every Jill and Jack
Hola Bonjour What’s up
It’s fine for sure
It doesn’t matter which way you know
We’re reaching out to say, Hello
Goodbye Song
By: Daniel Levy
Now its time to say adios amigos, time to say goodbye.
We’ll remember every song we sang, every low and every high.
And the next time we’re together,
making music side by side,
We’ll keep listening and laughing and learning
until its time to say goodbye.
We’ll be listening and laughing and learning
until its time to say goodbye.
Project Time at CPE II Middle School
Our world needs the youth's ingenuity to solve the big problems we face. At Central Park East TOO Middle School we are evolving worktime into project time to encourage rigorous student-led research and experimentation in science and social studies. Students in 6th grade focus research and experiments in our Welikia Study. Welikia, meaning “My Good Home” in Lenape, is our interdisciplinary curriculum that teaches ecology, and the natural and human history of early New York. Currently, several students are conducting scientific experiments: How does a salt marsh affect pollution from run-off and What is an owl’s favorite meal? Other students are creating historic models of Lenape artifacts. We have different student research projects on evolution, geography and the Shinnecock Nation. Still others are creating 3D models of specific ecosystems and watersheds. Each project is accompanied by a written component; a formal lab report is specified for experiments, but students determine the type of writing for other projects. We are also exploring diverse opportunities in which students can present their projects: at community meeting, museums, competitions, fairs, and virtual exhibitions. Our next round of project choices will utilize Visionmaker, an exciting urban planning simulation that allows students to explore urban ecology and environmental justice. With the talent, intellect and creativity within our students, this is truly an exiting time at CPEII!
Healthy Eating - Healthy Lunch
But please make sure your child has something to eat. This is very important for their afternoon success.
Dates to Keep in Mind
Monday, Feb. 15 - Friday, Feb. 19 - Mid Winter Break - No School
Friday, February 26th at 3:30 - Diller Quale Quartet
Thursday, March 3 - Early Dismissal for Staff Professional Development
Friday, March 4 - Deadline to apply for Pre-K
Friday, March 11 - CPE II Talent Show
Friday, March 25 – Good Friday - No School
Tuesday, April 5 – Thursday, April 7 – Grade 3 – 6 NYS ELA
Wednesday, April 13 – Friday April 15 - Grade 3 – 6 NYS Math
Saturday, April 16 – Spring Fair
Monday, April 25 – Friday, April 29 Spring Recess (including Passover) No School
Friday, May 13 - Early Dismissal for Staff Professional Development
Monday, May 30 – Memorial Day Observed No School
Reposts (in case you missed something)
Needed for the Art Room
Vida has requested the following materials. Please send them in if you can.
- metal cans of all sizes (cleaned out - no sharp edges please)
- random small metal hardware from around the house (nuts, washers, etc.)
- egg cartons (all kinds ok)
- cardboard (or styrofoam) "mixing" trays, like the ones that are under veggies. Not from meat, please.
Upcoming early dismissal dates:
Upcoming early dismissal dates: Thursday, March 3rd and Friday, May 13th. Please feel free to email with any questions or concerns. Nsmith3@schools.nyc.gov. These are for Staff Professional Development. There will be Taller Latino afterschool. March 3rd is a citywide early dismissal date. Most elementary schools have early dismissal for Parent/Teacher conferences (not CPE II) so many of your after school programs might pickup early. Please check.
Book on Inclusive Teaching Strategies for Diverse Learners by CPE II Teacher
We are so proud that one of our teachers, Jessica Martell, along with one of our parents, Mariana Souto-Manning have co-authored a new book, Reading, Writing, and Talk: Inclusive Teaching Strategies for Diverse Learners, K-2 to be released: April 8, 2016
This book introduces a variety of inclusive strategies for teaching language and literacy in kindergarten through 2nd grade. Readers are invited into classrooms where racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse children's experiences, unique strengths, and expertise are supported and valued.
CPE II Cell Phone Policy:
Use of cell phones is not allowed at CPE II during school hours. We encourage families to keep cell phones, and all electronics, at home. School phones are available to contact parents as needed. Should a parent need to reach a child, they can do so through the school office.
We do understand that some families feel it is necessary to give their children cell phones to be in contact and check in before and after school. If a cell phone is brought to school, it must be turned off upon arrival at school and remain turned off for the entire school day. Middle School homeroom teachers will collect cell phones and return them at the end of the day. In the elementary school phones will be stored out of sight. If the phone needs to be used at dismissal, it must be with approval and supervision by a CPE II staff member. Any phone being used on school premises without the permission and supervision of school personnel will be confiscated.
Cell phones should not be used on the school bus, except to contact parents about arrival plans. They should not be used to call friends, take photos or access the Internet during the school bus ride. Cell phones should not be used on school trips, unless approved by and supervised by a staff member. CPE II is not responsible for loss or theft of cell phones that are brought to school.
Math Homework….we mean Home Practice
At CPE II we expect children to use some time each evening to practice things that they are working on in school. Typically this includes reading a book of choice, perhaps some writing, and some mathematics problems. Children should spend no more than 15 minutes on math home practice - they should grapple with the problems to the best of their ability, to allow insights into the structures of mathematics they are working on in class. Making sense of problems and persevering in solving them and Looking for and making use of structure, are two of the mathematical practices we encourage students when we assign home practice.
Home practice is not an additional assignment, to be graded and used for assessment by the teacher. It is not an assignment that parents should take any responsibility for the student “getting the right answer.” The teacher checks to see that students are putting in the practice time. S/he does not use the practice to draw conclusions about the student’s understanding. S/he does that with the work students do in class.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t spend time solving math problems yourself. You should!!