Glenwood News
What is happening at Glenwood, April 3, 2020
News from Dr. Cappucci
Report Cards will be live on April 7th. Please note that Grades for the third quarter were based on student work and learning that took place up to March 12, 2020.
Coronavirus Family Guide from National Geographic
By Rachel Buchholz, KIDS AND FAMILY Editor in Chief
This weekend I went bear hunting.
Not for real bears, of course. That’s just not something we animal lovers at National Geographic would advocate. But more and more communities are holding "bear hunts," in which residents place teddy bears and other stuffed creatures in their windows. The idea: While parents take children out to get some much-needed fresh air during these stay-at-home days, children looking out for their “new neighbors” get a surprising—and fun—activity.
A similar idea: a bio blitz—identifying as many living species as you can in a backyard or a block.
These types of activities are becoming more and more important in these increasingly scary times. Parents may be mastering the wash hands, eat right, sleep, and wash hands part, but addressing a child's mental health is something entirely different. “We’re only starting to understand what the pandemic might mean for children’s mental health and emotional well-being,” writes Jenny Marder for Nat Geo. Her article has insights into what the experts are seeing, as well as tips on how to keep your children mentally healthy.
That means maintaining a flexible schedule and being open and honest about what’s going on. (Here’s an article about talking to kids about coronavirus.) Getting outside is also an important mental health booster.
The hardest one? Exuding a sense of calm yourself—even if you have to fake it.
Maybe a few random teddy bear sightings can help.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Why (most) kids have a better shot: An early study from China shows more than 90 percent of pediatric cases involving coronavirus present as moderate, mild or without symptoms entirely. That’s not to say that kids don’t get infected at the same rate as adults—they do. Caveats before you let those kids loose: children are getting sick; some have underlying health conditions that make it worse;and many kids, unencumbered, would carry the virus to more vulnerable adults and kids.
Does that mean I still have to eat my vegetables? Experts say yes, kids. Keeping immune systems at their highest levels is more important than ever, writes Nat Geo’s Christine Dell’Amore. Thankfully, “kids already tend to have healthier routines than their parents do,” says Laura Gray, a clinical psychologist at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C. So, parents, no peanut butter breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the kids—or for you!
If animals can do it, you can: Social distancing, that is. Some animals stay more than six feet away from perceived health threats precisely to keep sickness at bay, Nat Geo’s Sydney Combs reports. Some species, like chimps and honeybees, get aggressive to keep away intruders seen as health risks.
Family discussion (or not): 1. Is it time for a pet? Shelter adoptions are off the charts as we hunker down for the long haul. ... 2. Is it time for an animal webcam? Here’s what Animals editor Rachael Bale recommends right now: “If it's the middle of the workday, and I need a moment to clear my head—Monterey Bay Aquarium's jelly cam, for sure,” Rachael says. “If I could use a smile, I'd go to the feed of senior dogs at Old Friends sanctuary.” Here are more ideas.
Forest bathing: These days, non-parents might miss the socializing of the office and afterwork get-togethers. Some parents, however, might pine for the solitude of a commute, or simply a few hours out of the house. For those of you near uncrowded woods, forest bathing might be for you. This ancient Japanese practice, literally soaking your senses in nature, has been shown to lower blood pressure, heart rate, and concentrations of the stress hormone cortisol. It also increases sleep duration and boosts the number of natural killer cells, says onetime skeptic Kelly DiNardo, who wrote about it for Nat Geo.
I wanna dance with somebody: Virtual dance parties are booming online, including an Instagram Live event last weekend that drew more than 160,000 viewers. Another option: Sing or play a musical instrument solo or with neighbors from rooftops, balconies, porches, and windows as locked-down families have done in places like Italy, Spain, Montreal, and Dallas. Beyond balconies, videos of musicians gathering remotely to record a song—such as this, this, and this—could give you a shot of joy.
Beyond Zoom meetings: Tired of long video-conference calls during your work from home? Why not revisit your teenage glories on Xbox with a late-night or weekend video game session? Invite friends online around the world you haven’t hung out with for years? Or even friends nearby who you can’t invite over to the house right now?
Keep kids’ brains active: Are your stir-crazy kids starting to act like animals? In honor of primatologist Jane Goodall’s 86th birthday on Friday, have children take this Quiz Whiz to test their smarts about chimps, gorillas, and other apes. The Nat Geo Kids website has tons of other learning resources for parents like science experiments, personality quizzes, animal facts, and homework tips. And our partners at Dr. Cool have a great kit for making slime.
We Are All Teachers Now an article from Education Modified
https://www.educationmodified.com/
Mar 25, 2020 | Posted by The EdMod Team | Thought Leadership
Over the past few weeks, I have watched the education community come together in a beautiful and generous way – to navigate a situation never thought imaginable.
There truly is some comfort to be found in knowing that we are all in this together.
I have been amazed by the speedy creation and sharing of so many wonderful education resources, apps, Facebook groups, live Instagram classes, television programming, Youtube streaming, internet courses, etc.
In the meantime, schools have rallied to produce take-home packets of curricula, set up technology for distance learning, and train teachers to reach their students in completely new ways.
Teachers have quickly adapted to this new reality, and have risen to the challenge, as they always do.
And parents have found themselves in a profession they may never have considered.
We are all teachers now.
And yet, we also know that we have a long way to go.
Since the COVID-19 disruption, our focus here at EdMod has been 1) to listen to what you need, 2) to closely monitor how the special education field will likely need to adapt, and 3) to continue to support you – with what we do best – make learning more accessible for students with learning challenges.
In addition to our At Home Learning Resources we are sharing the following collection of low-tech DIY strategies that are easy-to-implement at home.
- Apply these strategies to ANY curriculum, lesson plan, or activity.
- Use these strategies to help your children access the work that teachers are sending home or your own activities.
Low-Tech DIY Strategies For Students With Learning Challenges
For Attention & Focus
1. Calming Manipulatives
Summary
Provide your child / student with a Calming Manipulative so that they are able to keep their hands busy while keeping their mind focused on learning.
Best for Students Who …
Frequently change from one activity to the next; Are fidgety or always up and on the go; Seem to be thinking about something other than the activity taking place in front of them.
DIY Tips
- Use what you have around the house such as a stress ball, velcro, small ball of play-dough, artist’s kneadable eraser, bendy straw, foam packing peanuts, etc.
- Take care that the object doesn’t make excessive noise or else it will become a distraction instead of a support.
- Explain the purpose of the object. Be clear that it is not a toy. Nor is it to take the place of the work or task at hand.
Related Articles
2. Elastic Chair Band
Summary
Provide your child / student with an Elastic Chair Band tied around the legs of a chair so that they can move their legs while quietly doing seated work.
Best for Students Who …
Have a lot of energy; Are easily distracted; Are kinesthetic learners.
DIY Tips
- Create your own chair band using elastic exercise bands, bungee cords, or rope.
- Document when during the day when your child / student is most hyperactive and needs physical stimulation.
Related Articles
3. Timer
Summary
Provide your child / student with a visual Timer so that they are able to see how much time has passed, monitor their own time-on-task and make better time management decisions.
Best for Students Who …
Are easily distracted internally or by outside stimuli; Delay task initiation.
DIY Tips
- Find a small sand timer from an old board game such as Boggle or Taboo.
- Set your oven or kitchen timer.
- Use our Analog Time Management GoogleDoc to help your child / student know how long they should stay on-task.
- If you have a computer / internet, use these fun online timer tools: Fun Online Classroom Timers (FREE)
Related Articles
For Reading Engagement
1. Sticky Note Annotation
Summary
Teach your child / student to develop the practice of Sticky Note Annotation so that they can mark, add a note, or ask a question about an important part of a text.
Best for Students Who …
Spend too much time and energy finding parts of a text; Struggle with note taking; Get lost in a text.
DIY Tips
- Use any type of Post It Note or self-sticking pad of paper.
- Make sure the sticky note is big enough for your student to write on. The square size is usually sufficient.
- Have students label pages in a book that contain their favorite quotes or questions about the plot.
Related Articles
2. Closed Captioning
Summary
Activate the Closed Captioning feature on your TV so that your child / student can read the dialogue while they watch and listen.
Best for Students Who …
Have trouble integrating sight and sound information; Are easily distracted; Need multiple avenues for engagement.
DIY Tips
- If possible, adjust the size and color of the subtitles so they are large enough and bright enough.
- Closed captioning can also be easily activated on streaming services such as YouTube, Netflix, etc.
Related Articles
For Task Initiation
1. Choice Board
Summary
Present your child / student with a Choice Board so that they are able to communicate their preferences and stay motivated and engaged with learning activities.
Best for Students Who …
Are in need of strong communication strategies; Need motivation to take initiative; Are visual learners; Can readily interpret pictures.
DIY Tips
- A Choice Board can be presented as a Menu or a Tic Tac Toe board of options.
- Nothing fancy is required – just sketch a Tic Tac Toe board and add several options for your child / student to choose from.
- Create a Choice Board with pictures, objects, or in writing to show what the options are.
- Must be a minimum of 2 choices.
- Use Choice Boards proactively – before your child / student refuses to complete a task.
Related Articles
2. Token Economy
Summary
Create a Token Economy to motivate your child / student to maintain appropriate learning behavior so that they can be more successful with the task at hand.
Best for Students Who …
Are in need of powerful motivational tools to succeed; Are in need of robust incentives; Benefit from visual and tangible rewards.
DIY Tips
- First, select the behavior you wish to help your child / student improve upon.
- Second, make sure that the token reinforcement program is designed to increase positive behaviors and habits.
- Next, be sure to develop a way to track the tokens or points the student receives.
- Choose a reward that is something that is desirable to your child / student.
- The next step is to establish the number of needed tokens to achieve the reward.
- Always follow through and provide the reward to your child / student.
Related Articles
For Organization
1. Color Coded Folders
Summary
Provide your child / student with Color Coded Folders for each subject so that they can keep their work organized.
Best for Students Who …
Struggle with organization; Often lose or misplace handouts or assignments; Need stronger structure for organizing.
DIY Tips
- If you don’t have colored folders, make your own by coloring 1) large envelopes, 2) manilla folders, or 3) legal sized paper folded in half.
- Make sure folders are clearly labeled with the subject.
- Make a folder checklist and tape it to the front of the folder so they know what materials should be in each folder.
Related Articles
2. Finished Box
Summary
Set up a Finished Box for your child / student’s completed work so that they improve their organizational skills, turn in work on time, and feel a sense of accomplishment doing so.
Best for Students Who …
Often do not pass in assignments even when they are complete; Are disorganized; Complete work then lose it.
DIY Tips
- You can use any letter-sized container such as 1) a large shoe-box, 2) cardboard shipping container, 3) tray, 4) pizza box, or 5) plastic container.
- The Finished Box should be in a central place in the home, not tucked in a hard-to-reach corner.
- It is important to be consistent with its use – if your child / student turns work into you directly, redirect them to the box.
Related Articles
How much time should my child spend on learning.
The amount of time students will spend per school day four days per week on assignments, which includes real-time sessions, may range:
PreK/K - up to 60 minutes.
Grades 1-2 - up to about 90 minutes.
Grades 3-5 - up to 120 minutes.
Square I Art
Families can now search for art codes!
Dear Family,
UPDATED INSTRUCTIONS!: Do you know you can now search for your child's art code for our school's Square 1 Art fundraiser online?
Simply click on Square 1 Art shopsite, and click on "Find Your Child's Art", and enter your state, school name, and your child's name. Your child's art code will appear. Once you enter your child's art code provided, you may view your child's art, and order products! (Mobile Users: If you are already logged in to your Square 1 Art account, and do not see "Find Your Child's Art", scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page and click on "view full site" and the page will re-load and you will see, "Find Your Child's Art Code".
Do you need help? Just contact customer care at service@square1art.com or at 888.332.3294x1.
Stay safe and stay healthy!
The biggest question is: What are Glenwood teachers and staff doing these days?
We are all missing being together at Glenwood right now.
Mrs. Arsenault has a Google Classroom. Here is the link. You do not need a class code.
We will continue with the Adventures of Thunderbear.
Go Thunderbear Go!
Even if you find you are not very good at something, take some advice from Thunderbear. You should keep trying until you find your talent. It may not be pilates, but it may be drawing. Now is the time to find your talent. I am so happy Thunderbear found his!
Mrs. Thayer
Hey A.J. I have a joke for you this week.
Because they swim in schools?
Did you know?
I wonder how long it will take the eggs to hatch?
I wonder how you can tell whether the egg is fertilized?
How many eggs a day can a chicken lay?
Can anyone research the answers to these questions and let me know?
Mrs. Ross and her son Logan have been very busy.
I hope you are getting outside and taking walks. Nature is all around us. See what Mrs. Sanford found in the next section.
Mrs. Sanford saw two porcupines in her yard.
Have you ever seen a porcupine?
Do you know anything about porcupines?
Mrs. Mead has been very busy.
Have you tried a new recipe this week? I did. See below.
Mrs. Craine's dog Ella visited Glenwood.
Do not worry Ella. We should all be back by May 4th!
Mrs. Gordon and her fur babies.
Mrs. Gridley
The Lague Family
Have you seen a waterfall in Rutland?
Do you know of a waterfall in the area?
Would you like to learn more about waterfalls?
Mrs. Porter is working on a puzzle.
Oh Mrs. Porter, my heart is broken and I am now a Tampa Bay Buccaneer fan!
I have to buy a new shirt for the first time in years and it will not be a Patriot shirt!
Does anyone have information about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?
What is their mascot?
What is their record in the NFL?
Mrs. Mellor has been busy.
What are the Hovan Girls doing this week?
The Plank family is keeping busy!
Wow, keep up the good work Mrs. Plank!
No basketball for the Butterfields this week! They played Laser Tag!
Mrs. Grillo
Oh, Mrs. Grillo I would love this recipe! Have you been baking?
And finally, I have found a new hobby.
I can tell you that it is not as easy as they say on youtube, but it is so much fun. Yes, it is very messy. I think I will get better and better at making pasta each time I try.
I could not have made pasta without my lead chef, my granddaughter.
She said it was delicious and I have to agree.
I wonder if you will pick up a new hobby next week!
Mrs. Dumas has asked that we thank our healthcare providers..
Please take the time to honor those who are on the frontline, our nurses, doctors, first responders and all healthcare providers, by decorating your windows with hearts and messages of hope!
Lunch Menus are always posted on the Glenwood Website.
Notes from Mrs. Lawton, School Nurse
Welcome to the Health Update-
To The Parents of 4th and 5th graders:
Thank You to those who have sent in recent copies of their children’s MD physicals and updated immunizations- I appreciate it! For those of you who haven’t been able to yet- if you could send them along as soon as possible, that would be great!
- The new Health Office website is up and running. Please visit this site: https://sites.google.com/wrsd.net/wrsdhealthservices/home
Reminders from Mrs. Johnstone, School Secretary
- It is important that we have the most up to date contact information for your child. Updates of contact information can be completed by contacting our school secretary Mrs. Johnstone at 508-886-0399 or by email at jeanine_johnstone@wrsd.net
- If your child will be absent, please notify us by either sending a note with your child, or notifying the school at 508-886-0399.
- If your child has a change in dismissal, please send in a note with your child's full name and teacher's name.
- Please ensure your CORI has not expired. Contact Mrs. Johnstone if you are unsure of your expiration date. Mrs. Johnstone has current information regarding the CORI. We cannot rush CORI checks at the end of the year as systems are overloaded.
- Unless otherwise noted: Dismissal on Early Release Days will begin at 12:30 with lunch being served.
News from the Cafeteria
- Please email jennifer_jones@wrsd.net if you do not want your child to purchase a snack from their Schoolbucks account. An alert will be placed on your child's account.
- Breakfast will be served daily. Children will need a note from parents to purchase breakfast.
- Breakfast will consist of cereal, yogurt, fruit and milk or bagel, yogurt, fruit and milk.
- The cost for breakfast is $2.25. The cost for lunch is $3.25. Milk is $.60.
- If a child qualifies for free or reduced lunch, then they will also qualify for a free or reduced breakfast. Please contact Mrs. Jones if you have any questions.
- Lunch Menus are available on the Glenwood website: http://www.wrsd.net/glenwood/