Page Hilltop Paws-itively News
March 2020
Celebrating Dr. Seuss' Birthday with Community
Read Across America Day March 2nd
Read Across America on Dr. Seuss Day! March 2nd
Each year our school invites renowned community members to come to Page Hilltop and read to our students. We encourage our community readers to share the value of reading with our students and how it helped them become successful in their careers. The day begins with a brief gathering in the library along with some refreshments to welcome our guests. Community members are assigned a classroom and provided a book to share with the class. The students love having members of our community come to visit ! This year we plan to have members read from the wide collection of Dr. Seuss books to honor his birthday.
Our 100th Day Song
MARCH has arrived!
Mrs. Cowley's Tallest Hat Competition
Grade 4 & 5 students in Mrs. Cowley's art classes were recently involved in a "tallest hat competition". This activity is an example of a STEAM-based learning activity. It involved artistic creativity along with some engineering theories. All hats wer made with only 1” x12” paper strips and Elmer’s glue. They had to stand by themselves to be measured. The timing of this project was great as we plan for Dr. Seuss week and I think about the storybook "500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins".
Addy Johnson in Mrs. Silva’s 4th grade won the Tallest Hat Competition with a 65” tall hat! Olivia Gibbons’, also from Mrs. Silva’s 4th grade had the second tallest hat at 55” and Jake Leone from Mr. Whittemore’s 5th grade was right behind that with a 54” hat.It’s a real challenge to make them this tall! Congratulations!
The benefits of YOGA!
Get ready to CELEBRATE!
On March 20th we will celebrate the coming of SPRING! We encourage all students to wear their favorite spring attire. Let's see lots of colorful clothing, spring sports gear, sunglasses & hats! If the outside temperatures are still on the cool side, warm warm layers to school and you can take them off in class.
APAC - Great Family Viewing!
Please go to the following site: www.ayer.vod.castus.tv
to view APAC video broadcasts of: The Harlem Wizards Game
The Great KIndness Challenge assembly
The Prince & The Pauper play
You will also be able to view some of the outstanding productions of our "PH Panthers News Team", a student news team directed by Mrs. Mayo.
The Word Collector
Mrs. Reilly's second graders decided to combine Read Across America with the book The Word Collector by Peter Reynolds. The Class was encouraged to come dressed as a word today. We will be doing different activities throughout the week related to the book.
The kids will be painting rocks and writing a word of their choice on the rock. I thought it would be fun to place these rocks throughout the school/campus.
MUSIC STICKS
Students in grades 1-5 have the opportunity to earn a music bracelet at the end of each music class! Every student has their name on a popsicle stick and at the beginning of every music class Mrs. Richter “picks a stick.” She doesn’t announce whose stick is picked until the very end of class. She watches the behavior of that child throughout the class, and if they do a nice job, they earn the bracelet! If they need more than a couple of reminders, Mrs. Richter puts their stick back and they get another chance in another class. It is a fun way for students to try their best and get rewarded for their good behavior in music class!
New Sensory Path
These Sensory Paths are very well aligned with the Zones of Regulation and with the Second Step resources that have been in use. If students are feeling as though they are not in the green zone (not ready to learn), then one tool that might work for a kid is to use a sensory pathway to help them get back to Green. The pathways are largely designed for gross motor/high energy movements at the beginning of the pathway, and as the student moves along the pathway, the movements become a little slower, coordinated, and calming. At the end of the pathway, students should take two big "belly" breaths, and then ask themselves, "Am I ready to learn?"
You may go on the link below to watch a demonstration of a student using the Sensory Path.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1CGCmzipOqHw03DYwIa0ABjGWc627tWVT
Nature Walk
Ayer Police Department - Good Response Time!
Teach Organizational Skills
1. Check your child's assignment book or homework folder EVERY night.
2. Set up-a tray on your child's desk for papers you need to check.
3. Talk to your child about keeping his/her desk neat and orderly at school.
4. Teach your child how to use a calendar or a planner to help stay organized
Upcoming Events
MARCH 5th: PTO Monthly Meeting 7:00 pm
MARCH 6th: PTO Movie Night "Frozen II" 6 - 8 pm
MARCH 11th: PLT to Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry
MARCH 15th St Paddy's Day 5K Foot Pursuit (Run or Walk)
MARCH 17th: Wear your green day!
MARCH 18th: School Council 3:30
MARCH 18th: School Committee Meeting
MARCH 19th: ½ day (Professional Development)
MARCH 20th: First day of spring!
MARCH 21st: PTO Boys' Dance/Activity Night
MARCH 23rd: Report Cards Issued
MARCH 26th : ½ day (Conference Prep/Evening Conference)
MARCH 27th: ½ days (Parent/Teacher Afternoon Conferences)
ALL ½ days are 12:15 DISMISSAL NO LUNCH SERVED!!
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