Cluster 3
January 14- January 21
To translate this newsletter, click on it then use the link to the right. (English
Para traduzir este boletim, clique nele e use o link à direita. (Portuguese)
Para traducir este boletín, haga clic en él y luego use el enlace a la derecha (Spanish)
لترجمة هذه الرسالة من المدرسة ، اضغط عليها ثم استخدم الرابط الموجود على اليمين. (Arabic)
Այս տեղեկագիրը թարգմանելու համար կտտացրեք այն, ապա օգտագործեք աջ կողմում գտնվող հղումը: (Armenian)
Чтобы перевести этот бюллетень, нажмите на него, затем воспользуйтесь ссылкой справа. (Russian)
Bu bülteni çevirmek için üzerine tıklayın ve ardından sağdaki bağlantıyı kullanın (Turkish)
Cluster News & Announcements
Please reinforce with your children that they need to be wearing their masks over their mouth and nose AT ALL TIMES while in the classrooms and hallways. We want everyone to stay safe so we can all stay in school!
Student Work Expectations while on Quarantine: While students are not Zooming into classes like last year, they are expected to complete their schoolwork regardless. To be sure, if they are experiencing symptoms and feeling ill, they do not need to complete schoolwork. However, once they are feeling better, they should be checking Google Classroom and reaching out to their teachers and classmates if they have questions. Teachers will be posting work clearly on Google Classroom so students do not get too far behind.
Attendance is a key indicator for assessing school and student success. It helps students with both academic readiness and social-emotional confidence at school. Family support is key for supporting students in their access to learning. The attached letter (Eng/Sp.) outlines important attendance facts for families.
Tardies:
- Students with 5 or more unexcused tardies will be given an after-school detention on Mondays, as an intervention.
- Caregivers will be notified via email. Students will be notified by Ms. Carle or the office designee.
Absences, per WMS Family Handbook:
After 3 days of unexcused absences with no contact to the school from the parent, the Assistant Principal will be notified.
After 5 days of absences (both excused & unexcused) per quarter, a letter of concern will be sent to parents/caregivers.
At 10 absences or suspected truancy, a support meeting will be scheduled with parents/caregivers, guidance, and administration to create an Attendance Plan, which clearly outlines the school, parent, and student obligations to improve the problem. If absenteeism continues, further action will be taken, up to and including petitioning the Juvenile Courts with a Child Requiring Assistance, (C.R.A.).
Students may also be kept from school-sponsored activities (i.e. field trips, sporting events, etc.) if they have unexcused tardies and absences.
Important Dates
Monday, January 17 - NO SCHOOL - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Tuesday, January 25 - Last Day of Term 2
Wednesday, January 26 - First Day of Term 3
English- Ms. Fitanides
Classes are finishing up the first full week of social issue book groups! All students have reading and notes to take each day (usually started in class and finished at home) and these notes help stimulate discussions in class the following day. Our books deal with all kinds of issues present in society today and from what I’ve heard from the kids, they are READING! Ask your child to share with you what they are reading and the kinds of skills they are working on (our progressions) as we work our way through the novels.
Book groups will be finishing up on the weekend of January 30th and the following week we will be prepping and completing our assessments.
Standards
As I read, I can notice the thoughts, feelings, actions, and words of a character to make inferences about what a character is like.
I can notice layers/sides to a character and how they act differently in different situations & settings.
I can notice setting details and determine how they influence characters and conflicts.
I can participate in group discussions about a novel, share my insights, and respond to others’ ideas.
Math- Ms. Spicer
This week in math we reviewed dividing fractions and applied it to our understanding of proportional relationships and scaled copies. This is a challenging concept but students have been doing a good job persevering! Next week we will start discussing percentages and talking about percent increases, decreases, tax, sales, and tip. Talk to your students about when you see these percent connections in your daily life!
Learning Targets
Determine and use a constant of proportionality to solve problems involving fractional quantities.
Determine the new amount given the original amount and a percent increase or decrease.
Use equations to represent situations involving a percent increase or decrease.
Determine the original amount given the new amount and a percent increase or decrease.
Calculate the original amount given the new amount and a percent change for one-step and multistep percent problems.
Standards
Compute unit rates associated with ratios of fractions, including ratios of lengths, areas and other quantities measured in like or different units. For example, if a person walks 1/2 mile in each 1/4 hour, compute the unit rate as the complex fraction 1/2/1/4 miles per hour, equivalently 2 miles per hour.
Identify the constant of proportionality (unit rate) in tables, graphs, equations, diagrams, and verbal descriptions of proportional relationships.
Represent proportional relationships by equations. For example, if total cost t is proportional to the number n of items purchased at a constant price p, the relationship between the total cost and the number of items can be expressed as t = pn.
Understand that rewriting an expression in different forms in a problem context can shed light on the problem and how the quantities in it are related. For example, a + 0.05a = 1.05a means that "increase by 5%" is the same as "multiply by 1.05."
Science- Ms. Smith
Learning Targets I CAN describe the structure of atoms, including the masses, electrical charges, and locations of protons neutrons, and electrons.
Social Studies- Mr. Kirkcaldy
Learning Targets: I can annotate a map to keep track of major events in a journey/story. I can describe the origins and central teachings of Judaism
Resource- Mr. Dayton
This week in Resource students began monitoring their Powerschool account in order to track missing work. Students were challenged to independently arrange times to meet with teachers for subjects they may need a little more help in.
Mr. Jim Kirkcaldy (Ancient History) james.kirkcaldy@watertown.k12.ma.us
Ms. Ellen Fitanides (English) ellen.fitanides@watertown.k12.ma.us
Ms. Heather Smith (Science) heather.smith@watertown.k12.ma.us
Ms. Cristina Spicer (Math) cristina.spicer@watertown.k12.ma.us
Mr. Patrick Dayton (Special Education) patrick.dayton@watertown.k12.ma.us