Old Mill Pond News
September, 2019
Old Mill Pond Contact Information
Old Mill Pond Phone Number - 413-283-4300
Absentee Calls - option 4School Nurse - option 5
Website: www.palmerschools.org
Location: 4107 Main Street, Palmer, MA, USA
Phone: 413-283-4300
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Old-Mill-Pond-School-Palmer-615345608823378/
September Dates to Remember
September 3-13 - PTO Spirit Gear Sale
September 9 - 1st day of school for PK
September 17 - ½ day of school for students; No PK
September 29 - Progress reports issuedOMP Websites and Apps
Palmer Public Schools Website - https://www.palmerschools.org/
Old Mill Pond Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/Old-Mill-Pond-School-Palmer-615345608823378/
https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/login/getmain?requestAction=home
PikMyKid - this app can be used to make changes to students dismissal plans (bus to car line, etc.). Changes need to be made by 1:30pm on this app.
If you need any additional information on any of these resources, please contact the office.
Thank you!
Meet the Counselors!
OMP’s 2019-2020 School Adjustment Counseling Team:
Ms. Curry
Pre-K P.M., K, 4, 5, & RISE
Ms. Englehart
Pre-K A.M., 1, 2, 3, & Discovery
Ms. LaVenture
STEP 1 & STEP 2
OMP Counseling office:
Phone: (413) 283-4300 ext. 1406
What does an Elementary School Adjustment Counselor do?
We work to deliver a comprehensive, data-driven school counseling program focused on direct and indirect student services. We do this through tiered program planning and implementation of small groups, individual counseling, classroom lessons and more! The school adjustment counseling role is restorative, supportive, solution-focused and student-centered! #TeamKids
New this year!
We have worked hard before the start of the school year in order to put together calm down bins for each and every classroom here at OMP. The bins contain tools for students to use when they are feeling angry, anxious, sad, or need some help to self-regulate for any reason. Some of these tools include sensory items such as stress-balls, play-doh, fidget spinners, instructions for a figure-eight breathing technique, mindful mazes, coloring activities and more! Students are encouraged to use this space independently as needed, and to set a timer and rejoin the classroom when ready.
If you have any questions, concerns or information about your child, please give us a call or email the respected counselor. Thank you, we are looking forward to a wonderful and successful school year!
Tips for Parents to Stamp Out MATH ANXIETY
From Jo Boaler
Encourage children to play math puzzles and games, anything with dice really. This will help kids enjoy math and develop number sense, which is critically important.
Always be encouraging and never tell kids they are wrong when they are working on math problems. Instead, find logic in their thinking. For example, if your child multiplies 3 by 4 and gets 7, say “Oh, I see what you are thinking. You are using what you know about addition to add 3 and 4. When we multiply, we have 4 groups of 3.”
Never associate math with speed. It is not important to work quickly and we now know that forcing kids to work quickly in math is the best way to start math anxiety for children.
Never share with your children the idea that you were bad at math at school or you dislike it-especially if you are a mother. Researchers found that as soon as mothers shared that idea with their daughters, their daughters’ achievement went down.
Encourage number sense. What separates high and low achievers is having an idea of the size of numbers and being able to separate and combine numbers flexibly. For example, when solving 29+56, if you take one from 56 and make it 30+55, it is much easier to work out.
Perhaps the most important of all: Encourage a “growth mindset” to let students know that they have unlimited math potential and that being good at math is all about working hard. When they have made mistakes, tell them, “That’s wonderful-your brain is growing!”
ESL Corner
Hello, Привет, مرحبا, hola, 嗨, សួស្តី។!
Welcome to our new families and welcome back to those returning to us!
We’re so excited to begin a new school year! This year, we will be utilizing the application Classtag to help improve communication between home and school. Classtag is similar to Class Dojo but its purpose it to help parents and teachers communicate about their students. In addition to being able to share documents and helpful information like dates, the language translation feature will allow us to exchange information from home to school and school to home.
With our growing English Learning student population, it is ever important to collaborate with our classroom teachers to help support our students in their classrooms. We will continue to work closely together and utilizing the many wonderful teaching resources available at OMP.
BIG NEWS! We have been very fortunate to have sponsors for every English Learning student at OMP to receive a new book every month! Please have your student read to you at home and talk with you about what they’re learning in school.
We wish everyone a great school year!! If you have any questions or concerns about your student, feel free to email or send a note with your student!
Sincerely,
Kelly Simpkiss and Christine Rapagnola
ksimpkiss@palmerschools.org
Kindergarten News
2nd Grade News
2nd Grade is off to a great start! We have been enjoying getting to know each other and our classroom expectations. We are practicing being Responsible, Respectful and Safe! Wonders Reading and Engage New York Math will be starting soon. Continue reading at your home with child for 20 minutes and practicing math facts to 20. ex. 7+4=11, 11-4=7, 8+8=16.
We were happy to meet so many families at Open House! Also, thank you all so much for the supplies that have been sent into our classrooms.
We are looking forward to an amazing school year!! 2nd Grade Rocks!
5th Grade September Newsletter
Welcome back to the 2019-2020 School Year! We are looking forward to an excellent start to the year!
5th grade Math
Ready,Set,Engage!!!
Engage New York is our brand new math program. We will begin the year with module 1 - place value including millions to thousandths. This module will be followed by module 2 - whole number and decimal operations, module three - addition and subtraction of fractions, module four - multiplication and division of fractions, module five - addition and multiplication with volume and area, and finishing the year with module six - problem solving with coordinate planes.
Engage New York (EngageNY) offers many “engaging” activities, games, and colorful manipulatives to help reinforce concepts.
As a group we will work to support and encourage each other to always be persistent, hard working mathematicians.
We look forward to experiencing these 6 modules with all of you!
5th grade ELA
We will be beginning to use the Wonders curriculum. The textbook and supplemental materials will be available online for home access. Look for a username and password to come home in the upcoming weeks. Students will be studying a variety of genres of reading and writing with corresponding vocabulary, spelling, and grammar lessons. Be sure to check the portal for not only ELA grades, but also for newsletters and homework. We are looking forward to getting to know you, and we are going to have a WONDERful year!
Grade 5 Science and Social Studies
This year, students will receive social studies and science classes all year. We will switch between the two classes every two weeks, but students will have only one notebook for both classes. If we fill that notebook, we will start another!
In science, we will start the year with a study of Earth in space. The focus of study will be the movements of Earth, the Sun, the stars, and the planets. We will study patterns of shadows, make sundials, and study the phases of the moon.
Social studies starts with a unit in geography, then continues with the history of the U.S. from the time of the European explorers through the first four presidents. When possible, we will combine the two subjects in project-based learning.
The connecting theme for both classes is “cycles.”
Put your thinking caps on and be ready to explore the past and present!
Reminders:
Extra Help will be starting the week of September 16th. Please be sure to always send a note with your child if they intend to stay after.
Please,please continue to practice multiplication facts at home as it is an essential base for all of our work this year!!
Please encourage your child to read and write whenever possible.
National School Backpack Awareness Day is September 18, 2019. A proper fitting backpack is a good way to prevent physical pain and promote wellness. Here are some tips to consider with your child’s backpack:
Wide padded shoulder straps worn on both shoulders for even weight distribution
Straps should be tight enough to make the backpack 2inches above the waist
Heavier items located towards the middle of the back pack
Backpacks should carry no more than 15% of a child’s body weight
Age Avg. child weight 15% of weight 5 yrs 40lbs 6lbs or less 10 yrs 68 lbs 10 lbs or less 15 yrs 115lbs 17lbs or less
Find more backpack safety tips at www.aota.org/backpack
Laurel Prescott OTR/L
Laura Coulombe COTA/L