Thalberg Eagle
Newsletter for February 2020
Thalberg School
Principal: Mrs. Katherine Reeves
kreeves@southingtonschools.org
Secretaries:
Mrs. M. Kennedy
mkennedy@southingtonschools.org
Mrs. J. Suess
jsuess@southingtonschools.org
Phone: 860-628-3370
Fax: 860-628-3308
Principal's Message
Dear Thalberg Families,
The month of February has long been connected with Valentine's Day. As we get closer to February 14, please remember that we ask that you DO NOT send in any food including candy, gum and other popular treats with your Valentine’s Day cards. Some classes will participate in exchanging Valentine cards but due to the many allergies in our school, we cannot send home any edible treats.
February is also Black History Month. The classroom teachers will be working with the students to research and learn about the prominent African-American figures in history. It is critical for the students to understand the past and determine how people have taken action in order to fight for equal rights.
As we enter into February, please remember that your children are working hard each and every day. Their days are filled with many learning opportunities, both academic and social. When they are home with you, try playing board games, card games or doing a puzzle together. Children learn so many executive function skills from doing these fun activities.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Katie Reeves
February Birthdays
February 1........Jack. B.
February 1........Sophie S.
February 2........Celeste C.
February 4........Edward E.
February 4........Jillian P.
February 5........Tejpreet K.
February 6........Alexander B.
February 8........Salvatore L.
February 8........Makenzie Z.
February 9........Gabriel B.
February 9.........Evan S.
February 10.......Madison U.
February 11.......Marlee S.
February 13.......Austin M.
February 14.......Gianna M.
February 14.......Emily T.
February 14.......Carter Z.
February 15.......Luke P.
February 15.......Landon S.
February 15.......Colin S.
February 16.......Eden P.
February 18.......Jacob B.
February 19........Nicholas A.
February 21.......Jaxon R.
February 22.......Chloe G.
February 22.......Natalie L.
February 22.......Gezaida L.
February 22.......Driyana P.
February 23.......Daniel J.
February 24.......Avril J.
February 24.......Caitlyn M.
February 24.......Nicole M.
February 27.......Bejan D.
February 27.......Cassandra G.
February 28.......Fareada A.
February Calendar of Events
February 4........Dental Talk Gr. K
February 5........Banking Day
February 6........PTO Meeting 6:30
February 7........PTO Family Dance Night 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
February 14......PD Day....early dismissal students
February 17......Presidents' Day.....NO SCHOOL
February 18......PD Day...NO SCHOOL STUDENTS
February 28......Pep Rally 9:00 AM
***February 24 thru March....incoming Kindergarten on-line registration for year 2020-2021opens on southingtonschools.org website.
YMCA Sloper Polar Plunge
ABC Steps Conference
Baby News
Our Thalberg Family keeps on growing. Our night time custodian Michael Dragon and his wife Katie welcomed son Jacob Francis on January 15, 2020.
Jacob joins big brother Mikey, Age 3. Congratulations to the Dragon Family.
Outdoor Recess Fun
Health and Wellness activity with Orchard Valley Garden Club
Kathy Morin (from OVGC) talked about New Year traditions, resolutions and the need to find things to improve our health and wellness. They made sachets filled with spices, herbs and fragrances that were either calming like lavender, warm and cozy like cinnamon and orange or energizing like ginger, cloves and star anise.
They also made bracelets from lava beads which are porous and scented them with essential oils that were also either calming, warm and cozy or energizing.
Vocal Happenings with Mrs. Ferrall
Take a look at our website: https://tesmusic.wixsite.com/thalbergmusic
Kindergarten: Students have been continuing to practice keeping a steady beat to many different songs and rhymes. We’ve also been practicing contrasts such as fast/slow and soft/loud and practicing moving in a circle (which is trickier than it sounds! J). Ask your child to sing and demonstrate the song “Frosty Weather” and see how many types of weather they can name. We’ve also been doing a birthday song where students jump into the circle and practice keeping the beat when they hear their birthday month.
First Grade: Students have been learning some new rhythms (ta, ti-ti, and rest) as well as learning about sol and mi. To practice singing sol and mi, we’ve been playing the game “Cuckoo in the Clock.”
Second Grade: Students are working more on reading and reciting rhythms on the syllables ta, ti-ti, and rest. We also learned a new rhythm; ta-ah or a half note. We’re continuing to work on our singing voices and practice our solfege syllables (sol, mi and now la). The students love playing the games “solami” and “Pizza, Pizza.” See if they can demonstrate for you. We will begin a dance unit in the coming weeks.
Third Grade: Third graders have been given their recorders and learned how to play the note “B” or “mi.” We are working on proper playing techniques and will continue to learn new notes and how to play songs together in class. Be on the lookout for a recorder performance in the spring!
Fourth Grade: Students in fourth grade have begun practicing for their spring concert. Please remember to send in a two pocket folder for students to keep their lyric sheets in. We will use these each week. The spring performance will be on Monday, March 30th at 7 pm. Songs for the concert can be found on the music website so that students can practice at home.
Fifth Grade: The fifth graders will continue to work on singing voices but also be able to work more on reading and writing music. Students will have an opportunity to compose their own piece of music in the spring. We’ve recently been practicing singing a song in a 3-part round, “One Bottle of Pop” and playing a stick passing game called “Obwisana.”
Please feel free to email me with any questions or concerns at nferrall@southingtonschools.org.
Miss Baer’s Music Corner
Feel free to email me if you have any questions or concerns dbaer@southingtonschools.org
Students in Miss Baer’s Music classes are…
· Kindergarten students are experiencing fast and slow Heartbeat in music through songs and games. They can identify Presto (fast) & Largo (slow) while singing and listening to music. They enjoyed playing rhythm sticks and bells while learning to sing Winter Wonderland. They moved to the melodic contour of a song as they pretended to build a snowman and watch it melt.
· First grade students began to read Sol and Mi on the music staff and will learn to write these notes on a 3-line music staff.
· Second graders have been enjoying singing and playing games with Sol, Mi and La. They and reading, writing, and creating songs with Sol, Mi and La
· Third graders have begun playing recorders. They have learned the 4 practice steps and how to play Mi, Re, Do. Many students have received their first recorder belt for demonstrating these skills.
· Fourth grade students have begun rehearsing for their Spring Concert. All fourth graders will be singing in a Vocal Concert on Monday, March 30, 2020, during the day and at 7:00 PM. A letter went home with information about the concert and requesting students bring in a music folder for their concert music. Music folders should be brought to school each day students have music class or rehearsals.
· Fifth graders have learned about syncopation in music. They are refining their rhythmic skills. Congratulations to our CAS Award recipients for outstanding achievement in the Arts.
FROM THE SCHOOL NURSE
As flu and cold seasons are in full swing, please be advised of the School Illness Guidelines:
Students should stay home from school if they have a fever of 100.0 or higher, vomiting/diarrhea, or are sick and unable to attend to learning.
Students should REMAIN home:
· For at least 24 hours after the temperature has remained under 100.0, without the use of fever reducing medication.
· For at least 24 hours after vomiting/diarrhea episodes have subsided.
· For at least 24 hours after the start of antibiotics.
· Until he/she is able to attend to learning.
The health office tracks the stomach bug, strep and the flu, so please indicate if your student has any of these illnesses when you call attendance. As numbers of flu increase, the department of health asks that the school nurse keeps an accurate numbers of cases. If your child is swabbed positive for the flu, please provide that documentation from the doctor to the school for the nurse to track. The best defense to illness is handwashing. All classrooms are being vigilant about handwashing throughout the day. Please call absences in to the secretaries in the main office. As always, if you have a medical concern to discuss, do not hesitate to call me.
Stay healthy!
Casie Messina
Thalberg School Nurse
FLU PREVENTION CHECKLIST
You can play an active role in staying healthy and preventing the spread of the flu virus.
Follow these steps:
Get your flu shot
Getting the flu shot every year is one of the most effective ways to prevent catching and spreading the flu.
Wash your hands frequently
Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds to help remove bacteria and viruses. Wash before and after eating, after you have been in a public place, after using the bathroom, after coughing and sneezing and after touching surfaces that may have been contaminated. An alcohol-based hand sanitizer is also effective in killing viruses.
Keep your hands away from your face
In most cases, the flu virus enters the body through the eyes, nose or mouth.
Cough and sneeze into your arm, not your hand
If you use a tissue, dispose of it as soon as possible and wash your hands.
Keep common surface areas clean and disinfected
Doorknobs, light switches, telephones, keyboards and other surfaces can become contaminated with all kinds of bacteria and viruses. Regular cleaning and disinfecting of these surfaces with normal household disinfectants can help. Viruses can live on hard surfaces for up to 48 hours.
IF YOU GET SICK STAY HOME
Disclaimer: ALWAYS seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this material. If you think you have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately.