ATC Principal's Newsletter
November 2015
Important Upcoming Dates
November 11th - Veteran's Day NO SCHOOL
November 14th - Cheerleading Competition (grades 4-7) in Danvers!
November 15th - Grade 7 Football Plays for Superbowl Championship!
November 16th - School Committee Meeting 6:30PM
November 20th, 21st, 22nd - Suessical the Musical at the HS Auditorium
November 24th - Turkey Trot 3PM
November 25th - Early Release
November 26th, 27th - No School Thanksgiving Break
December 3rd - Picture Retakes
Kindness at the ATC!
It is important to note this week is only a snapshot of the work we will be continuing all year long as we foster a safe environment for all of our students. One amazing thing we would like to recognize is our students collecting many pairs of socks for our "Socktober" sock drive on Halloween. Along with this, students donated $450 that has gone to the Crossroads Family Shelter in East Boston to purchase more socks!
Below: The culmination of Kindness Week was a peace march and school photo celebrating our incredible community of learners. Justin Mara from SkyLab Boston volunteered his time to take this amazing photo from a drone.
Writers' Workshop and How Parents can Help!
As we build momentum, we need your help developing the writing proficiency of our students and ensuring they become lifelong writers and readers. As a parent, here are three crucial things you can do to promote writing / literacy at home:
1. Identify Small Moments: When talking with your child about writing, encourage her / him to identify and journal about memorable experiences. In Writers' Workshop these times are referred to as "small moments." Students are taught that great writers reflect on times in their lives that are memorable and share these with an audience. Instead of writing about an entire experience, students are taught that great writers pick small moments that readers find interesting. This strategy allows our young writers to develop a focus and elaborate on great stories.
2. Write, Write, Write... The best way for our students to improve at writing is to write... A LOT! The two main pillars of Writers' Workshop are volume and engagement. Similar to a musical instrument or sport, our writers need to practice their craft. Encourage your child to spend time writing. Whether that be poems, song lyrics, or stories, this is the best way for him / her to improve. By being genuinely interested in their writing and allowing time for them to share, you can give your children a tremendous boost.
3. Read, read, read... Great writers are great readers. Encouraging your child to read is one of the best investments you can make in his / her future. Jim Trelease, author of The Read Aloud Handbook, (one of the bestselling books on children's literacy) is quoted as saying, "Reading to or with your children is the cheapest SAT prep course available." Fourth and fifth grade is a very crucial time for literacy development. Encouraging your child to read at least 20 minutes every day is an effort that will pay huge dividends down the road. One quick tip: visit the website www.bookseer.com - Have your child enter their favorite book. The site will generate a list of very similar books your child will most likely enjoy. Visit the local library and check them out! Get a book for yourself and model how important it is to spend time reading, even if you haven't picked up a book in awhile. If you're finding it hard to get your child motivated, encourage him / her to spend time on Lexia (see more information below).
Below: Fifth grade students in Mrs. Robertson and Ms. Mauro's class showcase their writer's notebooks following a publishing party.
TenMarks and Lexia - Tools that can move the needle!
Lexia, our online reading program, is a literacy tool that provides children with the same level of differentiation for English Language Arts. With this tool, students can work through various levels and set goals as they master the ELA standards for their grade level. While only available for students in grades 4/5 this year, we are exploring a middle school model as well.
New Teacher Spotlight - Ms. Hinrichs!
I had a chance to ask Ms. Hinrichs a few questions as we sat down to discuss her first two months at the ATC:
What have you enjoyed about transitioning to the Cummings School?
I have received such a warm welcome from the students, parents, and faculty at the ATC. The students are so amazing and have so many unique characteristics you don't find at many other schools. It has been incredible to get to know them more and more as the year progresses. When I met with parents, it was terrific to gain their perspective and learn more about the background of each child.
What are some challenges you have experienced?
Time! The hardest thing about teaching math is the time factor. We have a great deal of information to cover each year and it is a challenge to balance when you need to spend a little more time on a concept and knowing when to move on. I think many teachers feel this way as we seek to support our students while keeping everyone engaged and challenged.
What do you like to do for fun outside of school?
I was a competitive volleyball player and dancer in high school. I really still enjoy these two activities. I also love to read.
What is your favorite book?
I've really been enjoying reading books by John Green. I've found my students are very interested in his writing and I've been able to connect with students through reading these texts.
Below: Ms Hinrichs and her homeroom class!
Curriculum Updates
Grade 4
Currently in grade four, students are beginning their persuasive writing units. Over the next few weeks they will be exploring this genre and developing their own persuasive essay. In English Language Arts, students are following the StoryTown curriculum which focuses on all ELA standards, including text features, comprehension strategies, fluency, and author’s perspective.
In math, students have started multi-step multiplication, factors, division, and the classification of prime and composite numbers. They have been multiplying multi-digit numbers using the array and area models. These models are used systematically to help students develop the standard algorithmic approach to multi-digit multiplication. Using these models allows students to see why and how we multiply each place in one number by each place in another number. This is the big idea behind the traditional approach to multi-digit multiplication.
Grade 5
In grade five students have just published their first piece of writing - the personal narrative. There was a significant amount of growth observed from the beginning of the year in regards to structure and the development of ideas. In English Language Arts, fifth grade continues with Storytown, and Novels as students work to improve comprehension, fluency, and gain a greater understanding of text features and author’s purpose. In math, students are focused on multi-digit division and order of operations. The most recent monthly math assessment indicated that students have a strong understanding of multiplication and expressions. In social studies, fifth graders are exploring latitude and longitude and several teachers have begun projects centered on landforms. Science from Scientists lessons centered on why physical and behavioral adaptations make owls excellent predators. The children are dissecting owl pellets, sorting the bones and determining the owl’s diet.
Grade 6
Grade six has started to explore elements of a short story in their English Language Arts classes. Social studies classes are focused on their ancient Mesopotamia unit, beginning with ancient Sumer--”Land of Firsts”...Brick Day will be 11/25. In math, grade Six is finishing its Fractions Operations Unit (multiplying, dividing, adding & subtracting fractions) and getting ready to work with Rational Numbers. Grade 6 is studying a variety of topics across the grade, Plate Tectonics and the causes and effects of crustal movement.
Grade 7
In seventh grade geography class, students continue to learn about the political, physical, and human geography from countries around the globe! Each class on the Wolves is currently covering a different continent. In science, students are digging deep into muscular and skeletal systems. Math classes just completed their unit on rational numbers, fractions, and decimals. Students are now beginning study on integers, rational numbers and rate / proportions with percentages. English classes in grade seven are on various topics of study related to grade level standards.
Art
Fourth graders are using their knowledge of fractions to create creatures using fractions of circles and exploring the ancient art of paper quilling in collages of underwater and garden scenes.
Fifth graders are finishing their art history presentations of famous portraits and are in the midst of creating their own oil pastel self-portraits.
Sixth graders just did an awesome job finishing their flower studies in pencil, paint, grey scale and collage and are now working on a figurative sculpture that explores gesture.
Seventh graders are working on an open-ended assignment to make an artwork that emphasizes some kind of motion or movement.
Below: Some art work from sixth and seventh grade!
The Arthur T. Cummings School
Email: rheraty@winthrop.k12.ma.us
Website: www.cummings.winthrop.k12.ma.us
Location: 40 Hermon Street, Winthrop, MA, United States