MKG Messenger October 11, 2019
The Principal's Office
This week our grade 5 students as well as our teachers in grades 3, 4 & 5 had the privilege to learn from the author Ralph Fletcher. Ralph Fletcher is an American writer of children's picture books, young adult fiction, and poetry. He is also an educational consultant, and author of books for both children and professional educators on the art of writing.
Upcoming Events:
Monday, October 14 - No school, Columbus Day
Tuesday, October 15 - Gr. 5 Field trip to Museum of Natural History - Marinelli/Kuketz
Wednesday, October 16 - Fun Run
Thursday, October 17 - Gr. 5 Field trip to Museum of Natural History - Williams/O’Brien/Winterbottom
Friday, October 18 - MKG Annual Harvest Dance, Grades 1 & 2, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Assistant Principal
At this time of the year our students will be heading out to field trips as well as some fun events here at school. It is important to remind our students that we are always respectful, responsible and ready to learn both in and outside of the classroom setting. It’s important to understand that there are times when students receive a consequence for a choice they made. The important piece of any consequence is to understand the connection between our actions and the result of the action.
Counselors' Corner
This month we’re talking about the character trait of Respect. The dictionary defines it as the value of admiring another person for who they are and what they do. The definition we are using in class is: Respect: seeing good in people and things (and treating them with care). Respect is both a perspective and a practice. What does it mean to “see good” in people? Oftentimes this requires us to learn more about who they are, where they come from, and why they believe and act the way they do. Respect is about understanding people! Respect is also about action; how we speak to and treat one another (and ourselves) respectfully is a constant practice.
Grade 1
Our first graders are looking forward to participating in their first Fun Run. In Science we have started our next unit “Up in the Sky.Students will learn about the patterns of night and day. They will be able to explain the pattern of the night and day cycle and why it is important to our natural world.
Grade 2
Second grade classrooms are eagerly watching their thermometers rise as they wait with excitement for the Fun Run! Second graders have completed Topic 1 in EnVision math. Thank you to all families for helping your student practice their math facts. In Science, we are using Discovery Education as our primary resource to teach and support the Life Science curriculum. In ELA, we are wrapping up our Unit “The Beauty of Seasons” and will have a visit from author April Prince on October 18/21 to do a workshop on how to write a “Personal Narrative”.
Grade 3
Third graders are having fun while writing!! Ask your child about their “quick writes.” Students quickly write to a visual or written prompt and then share out their ideas. It is exciting to see these blossoming writers try new techniques and points of view. Sharing their writing with others helps our students view themselves as writers. Encourage more writing at home; fictional stories, poetry, comics, even lists. Practice helps develop stronger and more confident writers.
Grade 4
In reading, we have been learning about character traits and theme by enjoying many read-aloud books as we launched our Readers Workshop. Ask your child about a favorite picture book that was read in class! In writing, we have launched our Writers Workshop and will begin writing our own personal narratives. We continue to use our Writer’s Notebooks to practice our writing consistently through quick writes.
Grade 5
Students in 5th Grade have been preparing for their field trip next week to the Museum of Natural History and Planetarium in RI by learning about objects in our Solar System, their relative size and distance to each other, and the Sun’s importance to Earth. While at the museum, the students will see a planetarium show called “Our Place in Space”. Then, they will participate in a hands-on exploration of gravitational effects of toys on Earth and in space. The trip will end with a Museum Quest through the museum to explore the exhibits.
We also had an engaging and entertaining author visit from Ralph Fletcher this week. He met with classes and discussed the value of writer’s notebooks, writing poems and memories, writing fiction from real-life experiences, and the process of getting a book illustrated and published. He enticed the students with many personal stories of his childhood and answered questions students had for him about his books, his life, and being a writer. Grade 5 teachers will have a workshop with Fletcher to enhance our Reading and Writing Workshops.
PTA News
We are looking for volunteers with an updated CORI on file with the school. Here is our Sign Up Genius link
https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/30e084fafa82ba1fb6-mkgfun
*Box Tops are due on Friday October 18th