Moreau's Monthly Messenger - M3
October 2018
Moreau Hall Elementary School
Respect
Involvement
Determination
Excellence
Email: thiggins@easton.k12.ma.us
Website: www.easton.k12.ma.us
Location: 360 Washington Street, North Easton, MA 02356
Phone: 508-230-3235
Twitter: @Mr_H_MH_Hawks
A Message from Mr. H.
We have kicked off our Be The Difference Direct Donation Campaign for the third year in a row. In year one we raised over $10,000 and I dyed my hair rainbow colors. In year two we raised over $13,000 and I was covered from head to toe in Silly String. In just 5 short days, our Hawks have raised over $2600! Well on the way to our goal of $10,000. If we can make it to our goal, I have vowed to camp out on the roof of Moreau Hall while wearing some silly looking pajamas. To say that our students are excited would be an understatement. They are energized and committed to a common goal, and don't tell them, but I think they are going to blow our goal away easily! When we kicked off our campaign, I spoke to the students about our core value of Involvement. In particular the ideas of 1) Helping your Moreau Hall family, and 2) Making a difference in your community. Our campaign is so much more than just raising funds for the benefit of our students' enrichment. It is a way to continue building the positive culture and climate we have created in our little school. It allows our littlest learners to feel they are part of something special. Feeling a sense of community, and being a part of that community, is important to building foundational skills in social/emotional learning. It is a joy to see our students' faces when they make a donation. They are so proud of helping to put their principal on the roof for a night. If having my hair dyed rainbow, being covered in silly string, and braving the elements to camp out on the roof get our Hawks to feel excited, energized, and committed to their school, then I will gladly continue to play the fool. At our opening faculty meeting I shared a video with our teachers about creating "lollipop moments" for our students and each other. It's a simple idea about kindness and leadership, and it resonates with me deeply. These Hawks have me energized to be the best principal I can be each day. Thank you for your support as we work to achieve all of our goals! Here's to a great October!
Leading with Lollipops - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVCBrkrFrBE&vl=en
Best,
Mr. H.
Dot Day 2018
M.H. Students Lend a Helping Hand to the Easton Food Pantry
Each grade level at Moreau Hall has developed a community service project to provide an opportunity for our students to have a lasting impact on improving the community in which they live. Moreau Hall Kindergarten classes will be coordinating ALL SCHOOL food drives this year to benefit the Easton Food Pantry. The first Food Drive will be during the month of October. Items can be brought in all month long! We will set a day at the end of each month to collect and deliver the items.
Here are some recommended items:
Canned pasta, boxed pasta, pasta sauce, cereal, peanut butter, jelly,
canned soup, canned vegetables, canned tuna, and canned baked beans
Thank you for your support!
School On Wheels of MA
Thanks so much to our families for supporting our first grade Hawks with their community service project to help School on Wheels of Massachusetts. We had our biggest collection ever this past September! We have already sent 5 full boxes of school supplies and we have two more full boxes ready to pass along! This project serves students in our state impacted by homelessness.
Helping our Veterans
Our second graders have kicked off their community service project this year with the help of Mrs. Sullivan. They will be visiting Smith Farm at Borderland State Park this week to see what their facility does to help our local Veterans. Our second grade Hawks will be doing chores throughout the school year to raise money to donate to our friends at Smith Farm
Book Swap
Last school year we tried out a BOOK SWAP for the students. I could use a variety of books to start off with before the students are able to start swapping them. So often parents buy books for their kids and then don’t know what to do once they outgrow them. So, if you have any gently used books (appropriate for the K-2 population) that you’d like to donate please feel free to drop them off with me. I will collect, sort and level them for the students. The book swap will take place during Reading Incentive in January. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at: Ksilverstein@easton.k12.ma.us
Karen Silverstein
Reading Specialist
Morning Student Drop Off
We ask for your assistance and cooperation in ensuring that the “morning student drop off” procedure and rules are followed properly. Students who attend M.H. are afforded the opportunity to ride the bus. You may also choose to drive your children to school.
If you are dropping students off in the morning it is imperative that you park in a marked parking space and walk your children into the school. Simply pulling up and dropping children off while you wait in the car is unsafe and not allowed, as we have no crossing guard or staff member outside to supervise this. Children should not be walking across the driveway unattended. If you arrive before 8:55 am, parents/guardians are asked to stay with the students in the cafeteria until they are dismissed to their classrooms at 8:55 am. There is no “school supervision” before 8:55 am and students should NOT be left unattended.
Once your children are dismissed to their classroom, you should exit our parking lot through the Stonehill College access road that is at the far south end of the lot.
Thank you for your cooperation!
Upcoming Events
Click here for the calendar on the school website
Wednesday, October 3
Grade 2 Field Trip to Smith Farm at Borderland State Park
Thursday, October 4
Picture Day
Monday, October 8
No School - Columbus Day
Tues., Wed., Thu., October 9-11
Fire Safety Programs
Thursday, October 18
Grade 2 Walking Tour of Easton - Mrs. Widdop & Mrs. Griffin
Friday, October 19
Grade 2 Walking Tour of Easton - Mrs. Sanpietro & Mrs. Rogers
Wednesday, October 24
PAC Meeting - 7:00 pm - MH Library
Friday, October 26
Ice Cream Social and Art Exhibit 6:00-7:30 pm
Wednesday, October 31
Halloween Parade 2:30 pm
PAC News - Parent Advisory Council
Kristen Finch and Colleen Pantazelos – Co-Chairpersons
Chrissy Sierra – TreasurerEve Reed – Secretary
The second meeting of the Parent Advisory Council will be held on
Wednesday, October 24th at 7:00 pm
in the Moreau Hall Library.
All are welcome!
Mark your calendar now for PAC Meeting dates...
November 14 @ 7:00 pm
January 16 @ 7:00 pm
March 13 @ 7:00 pm
April 17 @ 7:00 pm
May 15 @ 7:00 pm
Email PAC at moreauhallpac@gmail.com
Follow PAC on Facebook at www.facebook.com/moreauhallpac
iCARE Readings
iCARE is coming back to Moreau Hall. This rich parent run read aloud program helps children find out that they are more similar than dissimilar than their atypical peers. It also gives children a chance to discuss differences in a supportive environment. This program was created by a Mansfield parent, Kim Piro, whose daughter, Jamie is autistic. When Jamie was in kindergarten she was loud at times, because she was nervous, and the children in the classroom did not know what they could do. Kim read the book Captain Tommy to the students in the class and helped them understand all of the ways that Jamie was the same as they were and also how they might help and interact with her. After this single reading there was a great improvement in the classroom and the teacher and parents believed that their children had benefited. This was the beginning of iCARE. All children in Mansfield and many other towns throughout the country and Commonwealth have a yearly reading from a library. This reading takes place under teacher supervision by trained parents.
TheJamiefund.org is the website where you can find information about the iCARE reading program. In brief iCARE stands for Introducing Children to Acceptance through Reading and Education.
If you are interested in helping to run, or become a trained parent, for this amazing and beneficial program, please email Ms. Moskowitz fmoskowitz@easton.k12.ma.us
Coat Drive
Mrs. Silverstein's Reading Corner
What Is RTI And The Three Tiers Of Support?
RTI is an acronym for Response to Intervention. Response to Intervention is a multi-tier approach where teachers and specialists identify students who are at risk of reading difficulties and to give them the support they need to succeed. This approach can also be used for math and behavior, as well.
The process starts when all of the students are given a universal screening assessment that compares their progress to the progress of students across Massachusetts. The tiered support can be given by the general classroom teacher, the learning specialists or the reading specialist. The students progress is closely monitored and educational decisions are made based on the students response to the tiered interventions.
Tier 1
Tier 1 is considered the first dose of instruction to students. It is a combination of the classroom teacher leading whole group instruction, the classroom teacher giving differentiated small group instruction, as well as student workstations and opportunities for student independent practice. All students in the classroom will receive this instruction.
Tier 2
Tier 2 is the second dose of instruction to students. It is led by a learning specialist, reading specialist, classroom teacher, or an interventionist. During this small group (4-6 students) instruction, 2/3 to 3/4 of the class will receive this instruction. The specialist will give instruction to students within the classroom on specific skills each time they meet during the week.
Tier 3
Tier 3 is the third dose of instruction to students. This level of instruction is more concentrated and can take place in a separate location outside the classroom. Small group instruction is given to 2-3 students by the learning specialist, reading specialist or interventionist and sometimes by the classroom teacher. During tier 3 intervention the instructor is only working with the students on one skill. The students’ progress is monitored every two weeks.
if you have any questions please feel free to contact me at: Ksilverstein@easton.k12.ma.us
Karen Silverstein
Reading Specialist
Mrs. Silverstein reads, The Magician's Hat by Malcom Mitchell
Mr. Dennison’s Music Notes
Hello Moreau Hall families. Each month I will share some of the songs, activities, and topics that were covered in each grade. Please ask your child(ren) if they would like to share any of the songs or activities for you.
In these first few weeks, some wonder why I use my higher singing voice (falsetto voice) to match their voices, especially the new students. It is important that I sing to match the pitch of their voice. The adult male singing voice is low and children often switch to their speaking voice. I try to make children comfortable with their singing voice in the first classes of the year. -Mr. Dennison
KINDER Song: Teddy Bear Concept/Activity: Finding our singing voice
1st GRADE Song: Lemonade Concept/Activity: Using rhythm sticks
2nd GRADE Song: Kye Kye Kule (African echo song) Concept/Activity: Finding and keeping the beat
Ice Cream Social and Art Exhibit
Fall is finally upon us! What better way to celebrate than with Ice Cream and Art? Please join us on Friday, October 26th from 6:00 – 7:30 pm for our annual Ice Cream Social and Art Exhibit. Enjoy some delicious ice cream and look at our students’ incredible art work. The event is FREE for the entire family! There will be raffle tickets on sale for the various prize baskets that will be on display. Remember to bring your BOX TOPS for Education to exchange for raffle tickets. Be on the lookout for more information coming home soon. A big thank you to Mr. Krasenbrink, our art teacher, on the work he is currently doing with our students to have their work ready for the big show! Thank you to PAC as well for their planning and coordination of such a great whole school event! I hope to see you on the 26th!
Easton Public Schools Activity Fee
Each year we ask families to pay an activity fee, which goes to support various activities in town. For Moreau Hall, the biggest activity that is supported through this fee is our connection to Sheep Pasture. In addition to our students going to Sheep Pasture in the spring, the teachers from this great program visit Moreau Hall during the winter to work with each classroom. It is a fantastic learning experience for our students.
The Kindergarten fee for this year is included in K Tuition. The activity fee for grades 1 & 2 students is $45. Please click the link below to pay the fee by October 6th.Is your CORI check up to date?
We love having visitors in our building, but the safety of our students, staff and families is our number one concern.
If you or another family member plan to volunteer for field trips or to work in your child’s classroom, we ask that you complete a CORI form (Criminal Offender Record Information). These forms are good for 3 years. If you are a returning family and believe that you have a valid CORI form on file, please check with the main office.
Good News Call Of The Day
Bay State Textiles
Dear Parents and Members of our School Community,
I write to you to as a reminder of and to bring awareness to the Bay State Textiles White Collection Box located on our school campus.
Why is the box placed?
The box is placed as a solution to the problem of unwanted textiles. In Massachusetts alone there are 520 MILLION pounds of unwanted textiles that end up in the waste stream of which 95% can be reused or recycled. The country as a whole is only recycling 15% of unwanted textiles.
What goes in the box?
Bay State Textiles accepts clothing, shoes, pocketbooks, household linens and stuffed animals in ANY condition as long as they are not wet or contaminated with hazardous material. Visit baystatetextiles.com for a list of acceptable items. ****Items NOT Accepted: Mattresses, Couch Cushions, Lawn Furniture Cushions, Foam Products (mattress pads, etc.), Carpet Remnants, and Rugs (larger than 2’ x 4’) For the safety of the drivers please bag your items and tie the bags!!!
What happens to the items in the box?
Collecting unwanted clothing, shoes and linens, creates economic opportunity all over the world. Bay State Textiles employs Massachusetts residents, contracts with local vendors for supplies and exports the material throughout the global market. As the material is shipped to graders, the useable items are resold creating jobs and economic benefit for those wanting to purchase inexpensive quality clothing. Additional jobs are created in the wiping cloth and fiber conversion industry. Please refer to SMART for additional information on the benefits of textile recycling. The good is NOT shredded!!!
How does our school benefit?
Bay State Textiles services the box weekly, weighing the items. Bay State Textiles sends a rebate check monthly based on the weight of donation. This is a “Feel Good” program to support our school community with your unwanted textiles. Tell your friends, neighbors, relatives, coworkers, etc. when cleaning out their closets, re decorating or updating their household linens, to support our school community. The convenience of the box is that it is available 24/7, 365 days a year.
Thank you for your support of our Textile Recycling/Reuse Program!
Core Values
Moreau Hall students, teachers, parents, and community members take P.R.I.D.E. in being a “bucket-filling” school. In order to provide a positive child-centered learning experience for all students we will follow our five core values:
Positive Attitude, Respect, Involvement, Determination, and Excellence
Be a “bucket filler” and show your Hawk P.R.I.D.E.!
Positive Attitude
Believe in yourself and your abilities and those of your classmates
Believe that effort will improve your future
Stay motivated, even when things don’t go well
Be excited and energized about learning
Respect
Take care of yourself
Treat others as you want to be treated
Take care of your school
Embrace new ideas
Involvement
Be present
Help your Moreau Hall family
Make a difference in your community
Share your talents
Determination
Show enthusiasm and actively participate
Finish what you start
Stay committed to your goals
Keep working hard even when you feel like quitting
Excellence
Kindness matters
Strive to be your personal best
Listen to understand
Show gratitude for all you have
Created with student input by the Moreau Hall School Council - January 2015
Moreau Hall Mission Statement
The mission of Moreau Hall Elementary School is to provide a positive, child-centered learning experience for all students.