Dear Parents and Staff,

Don't forget that we have a Community Eat & Meet tomorrow night, April 25, at 6:30 pm. We'll start with a potluck. It will be good to be together again. Babysitting is available. Sign up in the front office.

I'd like to share a quote that I have used over the years or given to friends at a point of change coming in their lives. This time, I'm thinking of my own retirement in June. Though I know my decision is sound, I am feeling very torn about leaving New Morning School. It's a time of change, and I don't do change well, having been in the same job for 50 years. Anyway, enjoy this quote and share with others at appropriate times.

Accepting Change

One day, my mother and I were working together in the garden. We were transplanting some plants for the third time. Grown from seed in a small container, the plants had been transferred to a larger container; then transplanted into the garden. Now, because I was moving, we were transplanting them again.

Inexperienced as a gardener, I turned to my green-thumbed mother. “Isn’t this bad for them?” I asked, as we dug them up and shook the dirt from their roots. “Won’t it hurt these plants, being uprooted and transplanted so many times?”

“Oh, no,” my mother replied. “Transplanting doesn’t hurt them. In fact, it’s good for the ones that survive.

That’s how their roots grow strong. Their roots will grow deep, and they’ll make strong plants.”

Often, I’ve felt like those small plants—uprooted and turned upside down. Sometimes, I’ve endured the change willingly, sometimes reluctantly, but usually my reaction has been a combination.

Won’t this be hard on me? I ask. Wouldn’t it be better if things remained the same? That’s when I remember my mother’s words: That’s how the roots grow deep and strong.

From the book: The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie

Warm regards,

Elaine Kennedy, Head of School & Pauline Nagle, Associate Head of School

Dear Parents,

Below you will find a note from Joan Barrett. Do you remember when I spoke at the auction

about “giving someone their wings?” There is a right time for each person – big and small – to

leave New Morning School. Joan explains below about this being her time to move forward

from New Morning School.

Elaine

*************************************************************************************************

It is with mixed feelings that I am sharing that I will be leaving at the end of this school year. I

am sad because New Morning School has been such a large part of my life for over 30 years.

First, I came to the school with my daughter for Me and My Shadow and stayed all the way

through eighth grade. I participated in aiding, auctions as a parent, subbing when needed, front

office, Fall Festival, Holiday Workshops and helping when needed. When I was asked to stay on

after she graduated, I was honored. I saw the value of the school for her, and I wanted to bring

the school to others. However, I am having a life change. My mother needs more care and I

want to have the time to devote to her. The New Morning School family will always remain in

my heart.

Thanks for the memories,

Joan

Tues Apr 25: Community Meet & Greet: 6:30pm - bring a dish to pass; Kids' Club available during meeting

Thurs Apr 27: Chess Club: Multi-Purpose Room 3:30-4:30pm

Tues May 23: Oregon Trail event for Grades 2-5

Thurs May 25 & Fri May 26: Records Day - No school all levels; full-day Kids' Club Thurs May 25, May 26-No Kid's Club

Mon May 29: Memorial Day - No school all levels

Tues June 6: Toledo Zoo trip K-5

Wed June 7: Performance- PS, K/1, EL, MS, Graduation 6:30pm at the PARC

Thurs June 8: Field Day & Last day of school - Dismissal 11:30am, Kids' Club all levels 11:30am-6pm

Summer Science Camps are back at New Morning School for 2023! 4 weeks available for ages 3 through entering 5th graders. Ages 3-5 are half-days and those entering Kindergarten through 5th grade can enjoy full days. Before and After care also available!

Many New Morning School staff will be working during Summer Camp including Ms. Danielle, Mr. Russell and Ms. Lisa. You can have the confidence that your child will be in good care over the summer.

Check out the details in our brochure. Contact us with any questions you may have! Registration is open now. Space is limited, so sign up early!

Register at: https://www.newmorningschool.org/summer-science-camp

In a few weeks you'll be receiving a SignUp Genius notification. Please sign up for shifts to volunteer for our picnic and golf outing.

NMS families scheduled to clean the school this weekend are the Akinbosede, Opara, Fowler, Blomberg/Moss and Kish families. Cleaning checklists will be available on the counter at the front desk Friday afternoon. Thank you for keeping our school sparkling clean!

Kids' Club will be available for NMS students during the Community Eat & Meet on Tuesday April 25 beginning at 6:30pm. Sign up at the front desk.

Grab some friends and join us as we continue to celebrate New Morning School's 50th anniversary. Join our scramble-format Golf Outing on May 20th! Shotgun start is at 1:30 pm. Reserve your team today. Space is limited, so sign up online today.

Teachers:

Marisa Downs marisa@newmorningschool.com

Danielle Provencher daniellenewmorning school.com

Preschool News

Springtime brings the sights and sounds of feathered friends, and we are here for it! This week friends can make a 3D bird, a bird feeder, and even help build a birdhouse at our art tables. At the discovery tables friends can observe real bird nests, learn about the bird life cycle, bird songs, and learn how to whistle. We also have some new feeders to attach to the windows! We’ll have feed corn and bird seed in our sensory tables to scoop, pour, and play with.

Our teachers for the letter Y are Ruth and Lea in Danielle’s room and Zoe and Brooks in Marisa’s. The kids have been doing an outstanding job all year and we are nearing the end of our letter study.

Our field trip to the Ann Arbor Hands on Museum is next week! Here’s the link to the information page, Preschool Field Trip- Ann Arbor Hands on Museum. Money and the bottom portion of the page is due Friday. It’s going to be a great experience!

Thank you to all who purchased supplies for Oreo and Snickers. They are so loved and cared for! We have a few days off in May (25-29) that they will need a vacation host and it’s not too early to think about summer vacation. If you are interested and able to take the girls for memorial weekend or all/part of the summer, please reach out to Marisa (marisa@newmorningschool.com).

Reminders: Since the weather is warming up, please retrieve your child’s sled if they have one at school. Also, it’s time to switch out winter gear for rainy gear. Labeled boots and jackets can be left in cubbies if that’s your preference. Your child has surely grown, so switching out their change of clothes to a larger more seasonally appropriate set is also a good idea. Lastly, safe running shoes for school is recommended whether or not it’s a gym day.

~Danielle and Marisa

Teacher: Pauline Nagle pauline@newmorningschool.com

Lead Aide: Shelley Blakeney

Dear Parents,

Last week was a fun week, continuing to explore ocean life and celebrating Earth Day! We have learned some amazing facts about sea horses and the food chain in the ocean. We enjoyed making some sea animals out of model magic and sharing new learning with one another. The kids have been surprised to learn how much trash actually makes it's way to the oceans. Reducing the use of plastics can really help!

We enjoyed our last music class with Dr. Fred in partnership with Schoolcraft College. We look forward to seeing Dr. Fred next year.

We are planning a field trip to the Toledo Zoo with the Elementary Class on June 6th. We will need drivers. More info will be shared next week.

We are finalizing our plans for the K-1 Teaching position for the 23/24 school year. More info will be provided next week!

Have a wonderful week!

Best,

Ms. Pauline

Teachers:

Hannah Diaz hannah@newmorningschool.com

Christine Jansen christine@newmorningschool.com
Cynthia Weber cynthia@newmorningschool.com

EL Lead Aide: Karen Staples

Oregon Trail

We are planning on going on our simulation on Tuesday, May 23. We will need drivers to transport us to Maybury State Park that morning. Please get a state park pass prior to the day, if you don't have one and are planning on driving. They have been known to ticket our cars if you don't have one. We are also in need of some Red Rider Wagons to convert into covered wagons. If you have a wagon we can borrow, please bring it in! We will need 5 wagons!

Another thing to put on your radar for that day is that everyone needs to be dressed as a pioneer! Girls wore dresses or long skirts, aprons and bonnets and boys wore pants and big shirts, hats and suspenders. It helps to get everyone in the right spirit for the roles they will be taking.

Field Trip to the Toledo Zoo

We are going to the Zoo! We have planned a field trip to the Toledo Zoo with our Kindergarten and First Grade friends on Tuesday, June 6. We will need drivers. We will send permission slips out next week.

Stanfords

They have finished taking the Stanford Achievement Test and we have sent them off for scoring with the help of Kit. We will let you know when we receive the results.

Reading Groups

All of our groups are plugging along in their books, and finishing comprehension questions about the chapters we have read. Our group discussions are great and we are learning a lot of new vocabulary. We talked alot about why it is important to understand what words mean because that can change what we are reading. My hope is that they get used to stopping while they are reading and investigate what a word they don’t know means. They can look it up or ask a teacher when they need help.

Math Groups

This week we will have our Math Fun Fair! It will be a fun day for all that return their bubble sheet showing the facts they worked on and the games they have played at home. Please have your child bring in the Amazing Math Month sheet with the bubbles on it by Wednesday, Apr 26, 2023.

This week we will talk about the art of Alexander Calder’s mobiles and Adrian Fisher’s mazes to prepare them for the activities at the fair.

All of the math groups are working hard and completing their work. They are asking great questions and trying their best.

Fortnite Kittens - we continue our study of kittens by working on how much they should eat and graphing it. We will also work with ounces and quarts to help them become more familiar with them.

Pug Puppies - Last week we worked with multiplication with 2 digit numbers x 1 digit numbers. This week we will make it two digit x two digits! We will also continue our study on area and perimeter.

Bagels - Last week we reviewed decimals and averages. They will continue to use their new skills with story problems.

Cactus Clan and Floopa Blades - The group has done a marvelous job comparing fractions. This week we will build on those skills with reciprocals and dividing fractions.

Writing Groups

This week, the scholars demonstrated some great writing skills! We had a creative writing journal about a picnic from the perspective of an insect. I loved the juicy details that the scholars added to their writing to show what the insects were experiencing. We also journaled about what it means to be a good friend. I was touched by the honesty and depth that they showed in their writing. Several offered to share their journal writing with the class. In group, we practiced simplifying sentences, getting rid of wordy repetition (fluff), and knowing when to use commas. Several of the groups asked to review grammar terms that were used in their independent practice work as well.

Thanks for another great week,

Christine, Hannah and Cynthia

Teachers:

Linda Hyde linda@newmorningschool.com

Nicole Matoian nicolem@newmorningschool.com

Greeting Middle School Parents!

We hope you enjoyed your weekend. For the last week of April, we have a lot planned.

Just a reminder that our 8th-grade students have been assigned a final project to complete and present on the night of 8th-grade Graduation, which will take place at the PARC on the night of June 7th. 8th graders must complete a Retrospective Google slide show to highlight their family and school journey. Please share with your 8th graders pertinent family and school pictures that they can upload to their slideshows. Additionally, 8th graders will complete a Vision Board that focuses on what they've accomplished in their 8th-grade year and what they envision about their plans for the future. Students were given this assignment last week via Google Classroom, and it must be turned in to Ms. Linda for review no later than Monday, May 22nd. Please contact Ms. Linda if you have any questions/concerns about this Project. Also, 8th graders and other interested parents, make sure to mark your calendar for the morning of Thursday, June 1st when 8th Graders will represent their Museum Projects, their Portfolios, as well as the findings of their Career Exploration.

We also want you to think about whether or not you would like to schedule a year-end Conference for your child. We would like to schedule conferences either before or after school during the days of June 1, 2, 5, 6, or 7. Please let us know your preferences.

In Language Arts, Groups B, and C, students will complete their study of The Outsiders novel by reviewing the major characters and their development, plot details, literary elements, and theme. Students will take a final assessment on Wednesday and will also do some persuasive writing about the novel that will take them into next week. On Friday they will watch the movie version of the novel as well as take a final Vocabulary test on words from the novel.

In Language Arts Group A, students will finish reading Kira Kira, and analyze protagonist Katie's change and maturation during the novel, as well as plot details, and the literary elements of the novel. They will take a vocabulary test over words from Chapter 16. Students will target completing a final assessment of the novel next Tuesday, May 2nd.

In Social Studies, students will complete a multiple choice Assessment over the European Explorers presentations they watched last week as well as complete a cumulative crossword puzzle that will assess what they've learned from the unit. This week we will also begin a study of the causes and effects of the Atlantic Slave Trade.

In Math, Group A will use expressions with variables to describe real-world situations. Students will alternate between matching the expressions and writing their own. Students will also draw diagrams to represent expressions and justify whether two expressions are equivalent. Finally, students will use the distributive property as a strategy for making mental computations.

Math Group B will use tape diagrams to help answer questions about situations where the equation has parentheses. Students will also explain how a balanced hanger and an equation represent the same situation, and eventually write and solve an equation that describes the weights on a balanced hanger.

Math Group C will explore exponent patterns with bases other than 10, and use the exponent rules that they’ve previously learned to apply to these bases. Students will also change an expression with a negative exponent into an equivalent expression with a positive exponent. Finally, students will determine a rule for multiplying terms that have different bases but the same exponent.

Have a great week!

Ms. Linda & Ms. Nicole

Office Phone: 734.420.3331

Email: nms@newmorningschool.com

Elaine Kennedy, Head of School elaine@newmorningschool.com

Pauline Nagle, Associate Head of School pauline@newmorningschool.com

Joan Barrett, Admissions Director joan@newmorningschool.com

Kit Zrull, Administrative Assistant nms@newmorningschool.com