Best of Bennet
December 17, 2021
From the Principal
We are at the mid quarter point of the second marking period. Progress reports are now posted in the Home Access Center.
It is hard to believe that we are so close to our winter break. Just a reminder that Bennet will dismiss at 11:45am next Thursday, 12/23/21.
Thank you all again for being such great partners as we work to provide the best possible school experience for your children. We appreciate you all!
With appreciation!
Joe Chella, Principal
Can my child go to school today?
Has your child or a family member been in close contact with a known positive Covid person?
Does your child or a family member have a persistent cough, or other respiratory symptoms, shortness of breath, lung congestion?
Has your child or a family member lost the ability to smell or taste?
Does your child or a family member have a fever over 100 F?
If you have answered YES to any of these questions for you or your child, your child should stay home and you should call the school absentee line.
If you answered YES to any of these questions for a member of your family, please contact the school nurse for advice prior to sending your child to school.
Spirit Week
Ms Heather
Twinning!
Mr. Orlowski
Attendance Line - 860-647-3582
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CVS
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Gift Card Fundraiser
Buy for gifts!
Buy for yourself to use anytime!
Help support Bennet Academy while shopping!
Head over to https://shop.shopwithscrip.com/Login/Enroll and use our code GEE7WP19S6BR
Share this with your family members! Delivery just takes 3-4 days. Shop more than 750 top brands like Amazon, Domino's, Walmart, and Visa!!
Funds will go toward providing a much deserved end of the year celebration! Thank you for supporting our Bennet community, Bennet PTSA
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Things to note on the calendar:
REMEMBER WE HAVE EARLY RELEASE EVERY WEDNESDAY THROUGH JUNE 1st. Students will dismiss at 1:15 on Wedndesdays.
December 23 - the day before Winter Break - EARLY RELEASE IS 11:45am. Students will take a grab and go lunch home with them. There is no school December 24-31. Enjoy your break!
Progress notes were posted to Home Access Center (HAC) today. If your child is earning a D or below the progress note will be mailed home. If you do not know your HAC information please email Mrs. Turner (b39hturn@mpspride.org). You can see your child's grades, attendance and progress notes as well as report cards, so take note of the different tabs.
Getting to Know Our Teachers
Krishna Longanecker - STEAM Gr. 6 - Ms. Longanecker has been a teacher for 15 years, in Springfield and Longmeadow, MA and now at Bennet Academy. Ms. Longanecker and her husband have two sons, both young adults. She and her husband are excited about their recent move to Connecticut where they spend their spare time on the farm with their horses and dog. Ms. Longanecker is happy to join the Bennet team and looks forward to getting to know her new students.
WELCOME!
Ms. Jodoin's class
Practicing subtraction with decimals
Ms. Christensen - Grade 5
Fifth graders continue to be quite busy as we bring 2021 to a close! In science we are learning about the flow of energy in an ecosystem and why dead things disappear over time. In math we are knee deep in adding, subtracting, and multiplying decimals.. Here is how some of our students are feeling around these subjects–
Ariel “I feel like starting a new unit in decimals is pretty cool because I have a difficult time working with decimals, but when I work with the teacher here, it’s easier.” “During science, one of the things we learned about was about a raccoon corpse. A corpse is disgusting to look at but it was fun to look at, too.”
Sciarra “I feel like math is easy once you get the hang of it and practice it enough. It can be hard the first time you learn it, but it gets easier. In science, it’s pretty easy as well.” “It was fun to do the experiment with the cotton swab and dish detergent. When we put it in the milk, the colors spread out.”
Jaquan “In science, I liked how we had to guess which powder was which. It was really fun guessing. One was baking powder, one was sugar, and the other was cornstarch.”
Renee “I like meeting with the groups when the teacher helps me with my math.”
Liaam “I like playing math games like Bang. Bang helps me with my multiplication.”
Dylan “It is interesting learning about how the body of an animal decomposes over time.”
Leohannah “Seeing time lapse videos of plants and how they grow is very cool and interesting.”
Often times, Mrs. Christensen shares a cartoon with students that highlights why it is important to understand concepts in math. See an example above!
Ms. S. Brown - Ms. A. Couch - Grade 6
Ms. Brown's sixth grade Humanities' classes are rocking it! In SS, we have begun our Central America & Caribbean Project. I emailed every parent with the details of the project and the timeline so that if a student is out for any reason, they know what they have to make up. So far, the students are enjoying learning about Central America and the Caribbean and it has been a lot of fun looking at the pictures they have found. I cannot wait to see the FlipGrid projects they complete!!!
In ELA, we are finishing up our Narrative Writing Piece. By now, they have added leads, identified the theme, added figurative language, elaborated in several places, and edited their piece on almost a daily basis.
Ms. Couch and I have also been having daily lessons on bullying during Advisory using both discussions and examples from students . We are learning strategies to identify bullying, and to deal with it. We also talked about how telling on a bully is not "snitching," it can save a life. Above please see Ms. Brown’s class creating Ms. Couch’s lesson on bullying by creating skits! They are having a blast.
Math and Science with Ms. Couch:
Currently in science we are learning how body systems interact with one another and how to share scientific information effectively. Students have also been participating in the Hour of Code activities sponsored by Mrs. Mulholland, Technology Integration Specialist.
In math we are learning how to write and solve pre-algebraic expressions so that we may be successful mathematicians; greatest common factor and least common multiple have become important part of algebraic puzzles to solve, not problems.
Some Coding Fun in Ms. Couch's Class!
Ms. Crudden's Cub
Jammies Rule!
Leilani from Ms. Tanner's class and Edryanna from Ms. Milton's class.
Ms. Randazzo and Ms. Crudden - Grade 6
It has been a busy month of December and students are really enjoying pursuing academics and working together as a community of learners. These young scholars are taking on new responsibilities as 6th graders and learning to persevere when new instructional topics are challenging. In the advisory period, students are learning to value diversity, respect individual differences and create positive peer interactions.
In Math students are entering the exciting world of algebra. Topics include working with exponents and applying the rules of the order of operations. In this unit, students will be writing, evaluating, simplifying and generating algebraic expressions.
In Science, Students are learning about how different body systems interact to perform complex bodily functions. Students completed a lab activity which tested their reaction time. They applied their knowledge of body systems to make claims about how systems interact to respond to stimuli. We have more sensory receptors to study and more opportunities to explore interesting phenomena, such as the McGurk effect, which illustrates how understanding speech involves both auditory and visual cues.
Students have been working on narrative techniques in ELA, and investigating Central America and the Caribbean Islands in Social Studies. Each student will be expected to complete a 3-5 minute presentation about a country in this region of the world.
Ms. Swensen - Grade 6
In ELA the 6th graders are currently working to take drafts of their personal narratives through the editing and revising processes. Students started with a flash-draft they wrote a couple weeks ago on a topic they generated in their Writer's Notebooks. Since then they have learned how to rewrite their leads using multiple narrative writing techniques to create the most interest for their readers, techniques such as: dialogue, flashback, inner thinking, snapshot or question. They also have been adding techniques such as elaboration and figurative language to keep their reader's attention.
Book Clubs are well underway, with many students already reading a second book together! The interest level in this shared reading experience is most beneficial for all students, but especially to those who may be reluctant readers. Peer support instead of peer pressure is being used to have accountable book talks, as well as hold each other accountable for the daily reading of their selected texts.
Next up for the 6th graders is a new interactive read aloud using the historical fiction novel Refugee by Alan Gratz. This is an incredible story told from the perspectives of three kids from different time periods and cultures--Hilter's Germany, Castro's Cuba and Assad's Syria.
Ms. Herbette - Grade 6
In math class, we are wrapping up our unit on numerical and algebraic expressions. Students will be taking their performance task next week. We will start the next unit on representing & solving equations and inequalities after winter break.
In science, students have been learning about the human body. The organ systems we discussed were the Circulatory, Nervous and Digestive systems. Students have been drawing models and making observations on how their body systems work together. One activity they performed last week was testing their reaction time. Students worked in pairs to see how fast it took them to catch a ruler that was falling in front of them. Both classes had fun trying to see who could beat each other's time!
From the Classrooms of: Mrs. D. Brown, Ms. Elmore, Mrs. Fagan and Miss Woodard - Grade 5
In science, we have begun our second unit. In this unit, students will be learning about how matter and energy cycle through ecosystems as organisms live and die. This week, we built decomposition bottles to simulate what happens to dead leaves and branches that fall to the ground out in the woods. We will be observing and noting changes to the materials in the bottle as we see them.
In math class, we are working with decimal numbers. Students have just finished learning how to add and subtract decimals. Presently, we are tackling multiplication of decimals in real world situations. When you're out shopping with your fifth grader, ask him/her to help you calculate the total of the bill or figure out how much change you should get! Following the winter break, we will move on to division of decimals!
ELA has been action packed. We are currently moving our way through the Narrative Reading Unit. We are using the mentor text, Home of the Brave to guide our learning and thinking. We have covered topics on how to link ideas to characters, theme topics and statements, author’s craft techniques and comparing themes across multiple texts. Our students are working hard in guided reading/book club groups to apply the new skills on their own. Notebooks are chock full of wonderful thoughts and display great understanding around new concepts.
In Social Studies, we are finishing up our unit on the Early Settlements. We have learned about St. Augustine, Jamestown, and Plymouth. Our focus has been on the hardships, the settlers, and the leadership of those communities. The students now have an abundance of information regarding the housing, clothing, and food sources of the settlers and Native Americans during that time period. They have been working very hard to compare and contrast these early settlements, gaining the knowledge they need to move on to the next unit. Our new unit is on Pilgrims and King Philip’s War! It is truly an exciting time in Social Studies!
From the classrooms of Mrs. (Skoog) Holman & Mr. Duva - Grade 6
Our kids have officially adapted to life as a 6th grade student and to their new school and teachers! They now know how to navigate their schedules and have survived their first part of the sixth grade year! Thank you to all families for supporting the kids and the teachers during this major transition!
As we move toward progress notes and are halfway through the second marking period, please check to see if supplies need to be refreshed. It is recommended that students keep a spare mask in their book bag as well as their own sanitizer. There are class sanitizer bottles and students are given sanitizer to use every time they enter or leave the classroom.
As a reminder, Cell phones should be turned off and stored in their book bag for the time that they are in the building. Please review with your child the cell phone policy that is outlined in their planners on page 11. We would like parents and guardians to remind their child to follow through with this.
In the classroom, students are busy learning in our STEAM and Humanities classrooms.
They have just wrapped up a unit on cells and are moving on to the five senses in science. Students enjoy learning through labs and looking through microscopes! In math students are engaged in a unit focused on the order of operations and finding the greatest common factor and the least common multiple.
In Humanities, students are studying Central America and the Caribbean. They just finished learning about Mexico and the Aztec and Mayan people. Currently students are researching a country of their choosing in the Caribbean. The project will culminate in a flipgrid that they will submit for a final grade.
In ELA for the first part of the year, students enjoyed reading Esperanza Rising by Lynn Munoz Ryan. This was a class read and discussions were rich as we dove deep into the novel. Although we were sad to see this shared reading experience end, we are excited for the opportunity of reading another shared novel after winter break. Stay tuned! Currently, students are putting the finishing touches on a personal narrative they are writing in class. The assignment called for students to write about a “small moment” in their life. That is, just a snapshot of a time in their life. For example, students may choose to write about a memorable experience such as a particular roller coaster ride they took versus an entire day at the amusement park. The goal is to help them find their tone and to use elaboration to make their writing interesting to the reader.
Lastly, and most importantly, students must bring their chromebook fully charged each day to class. Chromebooks are used everyday and it is vital in keeping students on top of their school work.
On another note, Ms. Skoog was married to her fiance, Eric on December 3rd! You can still find her listed as Ms. Skoog although she will be going by her new name, Mrs. Holman! Congratulations to the Holmans!
Thank you for sharing your children with us. We hope that their Bennet experience is a positive one! Have a happy and healthy winter break! See you next year!
Mr. Duva's Class
Taking Math Outside!
Learning about a 4 quadrant coordinate plane!
MUSICAL NOTES - Grades 5 & 6
It has been an exciting first few months of the school year in the Bennet Music Department!
Our 6th grade general music students have been working on their literacy skills, exploring different genres of music, learning about different artists, and learning how to play instruments. Our 5th grade general music students are working on playing melodies using an online xylophone, as well as working on their note reading skills.
Fifth grade band students are hard at work learning whole note, half note, and quarter note rhythms, while working on their pitch reading fundamentals. 6th grade students are also learning eighth note and dotted quarter rhythms, as well as expanding their range. Students are making progress each and every day!
Orchestra students have been working on reading the notes in the D scale. All students have been using the bow, learning how to play with the bow on the strings, and producing a smooth sound with the bow.
Our before and after school musical groups will begin rehearsing in January. Bennet Singers is a choral group for band and orchestra students who would also like to sing! There are separate groups for both 5th and 6th grade that will meet after school on Monday or Tuesday. String Ensemble, which is composed of 6th grade students, will meet Wednesday before school at 7:15. Sixth grade band students who are interested in participating in Jazz Band will meet before school at 7:15 on Thursdays. Permission slips for these groups will be sent out shortly after winter break.
Please do not hesitate to contact the music department with any questions that you may have. We look forward to teaching your children for the remainder of the year!
Ms. Daigle, Mr. Garrison, Ms. Gelb, Ms. Jordan, Ms. KIsh
English Language Arts
In grade 5, students are exploring fictional stories and tracking themes across different texts. Our mentor text is, Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate, and follows the main character Kek through a life changing experience. Students are exploring themes, thinking analytically and studying how character problems can help lead them to learn a lesson at the end of the text. Students are also applying this learning to their own book club book experience, and are engaging in rich discussions on their books. Looking forward, we will shift our learning to Narrative writing after the winter break.
Grade 6 students are immersed in our Narrative Writing Unit, where they have spent writing personal narratives. A personal narrative is a true story about you. Students chose a small moment from their life to write about. Examples of small moments are: An exciting part of a basketball game, a parent’s reaction to a report card, the moment a pet is brought home, or a favorite ride in an amusement park. In their small moments, students are learning how to elaborate, (add details, figurative language, small actions, and inner thinking), use transition words, edit their pieces, and grow their pieces into many pages. This Narrative Learning Progression shows how students grow from year to year in this content. This student checklist is used to help your child identify the areas where they need to focus on improving in writer’s workshop. Are you looking for ways to help your student edit pieces at home? Use this “Questions to Ask Yourself as You Edit” list below.
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Winter break extra credit opportunity!
Senator Murphy is offering his annual Martin Luther King, Jr essay contest again this year! Teachers will be offering extra credit for all students who participate in the essay contest. Deadline for submission is Jan. 10th.
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Pajama Day
To Benefit CCMC
December 2021
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Parents please note:
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Spreading holiday cheer!
The Hour of Code Celebration!
Tech Tips for Home: Screen Time
By Hope Mulholland, Bennet Technology Integration Specialist
There are so many great technology resources, games, and web sites for students, but it isn’t healthy for kids to be all tech all the time. For children 5 and up there is no set guideline for time, but it is important to have set limits for children of all ages with a balance of activities. Here are some tips for screen time at home.
First limit screen time so that there is a balance of physical activities, family time, and screen time.
Set expectations for all family members around screens during meals and family events.
When choosing screen activities help children choose activities in which they are creators and not just consumers. If your child is using their device to learn and create, then they are engaging their mind as well as using the device.
Keep devices and chargers in a common area in the house. Choose a time when devices are plugged in for the night and do not allow use after that time.
Look at your child’s browsing history with them regularly and discuss any concerns.
Consider parental controls. Most devices and internet providers allow you to set limits - including setting specific hours kids can be online, what apps and websites they can visit or download, and certain data and information that can be shared.
Visit American Academy of Pediatrics for more information about screen time recommendations. If you have additional questions, please contact your child’s school guidance counselor or technology integration specialist.
We are Nut-Free this year!
Remind your student please!
What's for lunch?
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We have water stations all over the school, and we are running out of cups!! Do your part to save the landfill by sending your student with their own bottle to fill.
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The Bennet Bear Den
SHOUT OUTS!
We are going to continue highlighting the positives this school year. Throughout the year please let us know who has made you smile, or been a wonderful role model for your child, went that extra mile, or was there when you needed a shoulder. This could be a student, a teacher, support staff, or even an administrator.
Mrs. Holman (Skoog) shouts out to Kelly Melesko and Seanna Francouer - two of our teaching coaches. You two are amazing and we are so thankful that we have such strong guidance and leadership in you both. I am so thankful to be teaching Humanities this year. Without thorough guidance and carefully crafted plans our department would be a mess with zero consistency across the board. Thank you for everything!!!
Mrs. Mulholland shouts out to Brittany, Cole, and Connor in Mrs. Randazzo's class for helping her get ready for the Hour of Code celebration.
We want to hear from parents and staff alike - email cberman@mpspride.org with your shout-out!!
Nurse's Corner
Parents please talk with your children about not texting or calling home from their cell phones when they feel ill and would like to go home. If your child is not feeling well the protocol is for them to get a pass to the nurse, who will then evaluate their status and determine if a call home is warranted, or if they need a little TLC, a rest, some ice, etc. and to go back to class. It is becoming an issue with students using their phones and parents arriving unexpectedly.
Did your child have a physical recently? Please feel free to fax the paperwork to the nurses.
Bennet School Nurses
Penny Parent & Elisha Mathews
860-647-3582 (p)
860-647-6348 (f)
REMINDERS - Masks, Water Bottles, and Home Access Center!
*Please continue to send your student with a reusable water bottle as all water fountains remain closed this year. We do have filling stations throughout the school to refill their bottles.
*Please be sure your student has a mask when they leave the house. It is also helpful if they carry an extra mask in their backpack just in case.
*Just a reminder that grades, progress notes and report cards are posted in the Home Access Center. Your login and password remain the same for HAC throughout your child's time in Manchester Public School through graduation. Please keep this information in a safe place as you can always log in to look at your child's grades, but it is also where Progress Notes and Report Cards are found. If you need help logging into the HAC please follow the link above and click on "forgot my user name or password". We no longer have access to your password at the school level.
Take a look at our Virtual Backpack!
The PTSA needs you!
Bennet PTSA is looking for a new Treasurer this school year. Interested candidates should email the PTSA @ bennetacademyptsa@gmail.com.
To join the PTSA as a regular member please fill out the membership form below and send it in with your child or email it.
News from the Bennet Office:
Picking your student up early? Please call ahead and we will have your student ready. Let us know when you arrive and we will meet you at the door with your student to check your ID. Thanks for being patient with this early dismissal procedure as we limit visitors.
For all technology assistance (including Chromebooks, laptops and iPads), go to the IT Helpdesk or call / text 860-682-0607, Monday - Friday from 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM.
- Did you move? Please see the list of required documents. Contact Registrar Heidi Turner to update your information: b39hturn@mpspride.org or 860.647.8275. Remember we cannot change your child's bus information until you have provided your new proof of residency.
- New number? Please remember to update the registrar with any changes to your phone number or email so we can reach you! We send out newsletters and emails from the principal weekly and you do not want to miss anything!
- New email? If you are reading this on our app and not in your email it may mean we have old information. Please contact Ms. Turner with your new email address so you don't miss out!
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10 Ways to Bring Social-Emotional (SEL) Learning Home
From your Bennet Social Work Team...Last time we brought you the 5th of 10 tips and here is tip #6...
Tip #6: Celebrate what you can. Try to find something small (or two or three things if you can!) to celebrate each day. Celebrate health, a new day, the sun shining. Share them with your kids and ask them to share at least one thing they want to celebrate. Research shows that when we stop to remember and recognize the "good stuff", we develop resilience to negative events that may be happening in our lives.
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NOTES FROM SECURITY
If you pick up your child utilizing the School Street to Vine Street route please be aware that you may be blocking driveways of the residents on School Street. We have had several compaints about people not being able to get in or out of their driveways as cars are sitting in line, blocking the driveways and not yeilding for a resident to pull in or out. If you are blocking a driveway and see a car trying to get in or out, please yeild to them. It is very frustrating for our neighbors to have to fight to get in and out of their property every day. We appreciate your being aware of your location and helping spread goodwill!
Please be aware as you drive through our pick up/drop off area that students are everywhere!
Please do not stop on the CVS side of Wells Street to drop off or pick up your child. It is much too dangerous to have students crossing that narrow road. Also, there is no parking in the CVS parking lot for drop-off or pick-up.
Please be sure to discuss pick up and drop off plans with your student to eliminate any confusion and keep your plan consistent. Thank you.
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Is there something you would like to see in this newsletter?
Bennet Academy
Email: jchella@mpspride.org
Website: https://www.mpspride.org/Domain/9
Location: 1151 Main Street, Manchester, CT, USA
Phone: 860-647-3571