MKG Messenger May 4, 2020
The Principal's Office
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Last week the Massachusetts Commissioner of Education released updated guidance and recommendations to school districts. After reviewing these documents and the feedback provided by families through our survey, we will be making some changes to the weekly Extended Learning Plans which will begin on Monday, May 11th. The goal of our approach from this point forward is to ensure continued engagement and to prepare students for success when school returns.
As we move forward, we will be taking a firmer stance on the completion of work and we would like to ask that all parents and guardians please encourage your child to participate. Teachers will be keeping track of students who are and are not completing work as part of our re-entry plan for next year and all work will be graded as “credit” or “no credit”. Further, we will be exposing students to new content and standards through our lessons for the remainder of the year, consistent with the guidance from DESE.
The Commissioner recently released a prioritized list of standards that should be taught before the end of the year. The standards and skills taught will be those deemed most essential for success in the proceeding grade. As a district, we understand and appreciate the various challenges and situations within each family and we appreciate any and all efforts you have put forth to best support your child’s education.
We have also received a number of questions about report cards and promotion to the next grade. Please rest assured that we will not be holding kids back because of their performance through this extended school closure. We are in the process of developing extensive plans to get our students back on track when we return, which include adjustments to both our curriculum and schedules for next year. We will not be sending home our typical report cards at the end of the year as we do not believe any assessment of skills in relation to standards would be an accurate reflection of true ability given the circumstances and thus, should not become part of a student’s permanent record. We are in the process of determining what our end of year reporting mechanism will look like. Once this has been determined, this will be communicated to our families.
The challenges that have been set before us have pushed us all, teachers, students and families to adapt to a reality that none of us were prepared for. We fully understand the challenges many families are facing. We also understand that, for some, getting your kids to do any kind of "school work" can be challenging. We appreciate your efforts in supporting your child’s learning through our new normal. Please do not hesitate to reach out for further clarification.
Grade 1
This week's Extended Learning focus area:
Change Over Time and Lessons Learned - This week in math, we will focus on telling time. This week in reading, we will listen to stories by author and illustrator, Eric Carle. Eric Carle uses bright colored painted settings and insects as characters in many of his books. The characters learn lessons and change over time. As you retell a story, think about how the characters acted, what lesson they learned, and how they changed from the beginning to the end of the story. In science and social studies, try to make a timeline about you! Use pictures or draw pictures of important events in your life. In art and music this week, let’s paint and make insects. Use different materials. In P.E., let’s go outside and take a nature walk and get moving.
Please visit the Middleboro Public Schools home page for additional online and offline extended learning activities.
Grade 2
Focus for the week: What time is it? Hatching Chicks - What Else Hatches?
Make a Mother’s Day book
Think about the woman in your life who takes care of you the most. For many of you, that’s your mom, stepmom, aunt or your grandmother. Some of you will have more than one person to make something for.
Today, draw a picture of you with this woman. This will be the cover of your book.
Please visit the Middleboro Public Schools home page for additional online and offline extended learning activities.
Grade 3
Focus for the week:
Massachusetts, Our Historic Home! This week our focus is on the history of our state. From the early explorers to the Native People, the earliest settlers such as the Pilgrims and Puritans all contributed to establishing our great country. It all began in Massachusetts! Let’s explore the geography and historical importance of the Boston area as a birthplace for our nation.
Games From Long Ago: Play Ring on a String!
Children in Colonial times created games and activities by using materials they could find. Tie one end of a string to a stick and the other end to a ring. Use an inch strip of an empty toilet paper roll. Then take turns trying to toss the ring up and catch it on the stick. Challenge a family member! The best out of 5 wins!
Please visit the Middleboro Public Schools home page for additional online and offline extended learning activities.
Grade 4
Focus area for this week:
May the Fourth Be With You...coming from a galaxy far, far away.
Take Flight! Paper Airplane STEM Challenge
Construct two different paper airplanes and make a prediction about which one you think will fly farther after five flights. Record your distances in feet and inches after each flight.
Please visit the Middleboro Public Schools home page for additional online and offline extended learning activities.
Grade 5
Focus of the week:
May the Fourth Be with You This week our theme and focus is Science Fiction, a.k.a. “SciFi”. This is a genre that is often misunderstood and sometimes hard to find. Looking at the two words separately it seems pretty clear. Together they open a whole new realm of creation and possibility. Creators like George Lucas have imagined things that have grown beyond belief with trilogies for many generations! Walt Disney has entertained audiences for generations as well with science fiction. Books like 2000 Leagues Under the Sea, Haddix, Ender's Game, Animorphs, and A Wrinkle In Time stretch our perceptions and imaginations. Where does your imagination take you?
It has happened! We have gone “Wall-e”. The situation is so bad it has begun to destroy the planet. As a human species, we must find a new home, a new planet. All citizens will be departing on spacecraft to move them to the new colonies that we humans will establish on other planets.
Because of the confined space in the ship, each person is only allowed to bring four items total.
What would you choose to bring? What would be important to happiness? Survival? Make a list labeled MUST HAVES of the items you would like to bring. List as many as you want, then narrow it down to four. Try to explain in a few sentences for each why you chose each one. Why were they so essential? How will they benefit/help?
Please visit the Middleboro Public Schools home page for additional online and offline extended learning activities.