Old Mill Pond News
April 2019
Happy Spring from Kindergarten!
This month in ELA, our weekly concepts include On The Move, My USA, and Look to the Sky. The letters we will concentrate on are J, Q, Y G, W and X. Our new sight words for this month are here, me, this and what. Don't forget to review the past ones!
In math, we continue to work on addition and subtraction sentences, composing and decomposing numbers. Try skip counting by 5's and 10's with your child and count backwards together from 20.
In science, we are studying about states of matter. Ask them to name the 3 different ones (solid, gas, liquid). We will also be learning about force and motion(push and pull).
1st Grade News
Spring has sprung and first grade is very busy this time of year! We are still working on Unit 4 learning about animals’ lives and how they survive. We will be finishing up Unit 4 before April Vacation starts. At the end of the unit, all classes will choose an animal to present facts and information they learned about that animal to the other classes.
In math, we started Module 3 in which we are learning about measurement. We will be comparing lengths of different objects and seeing which is longer or shorter. We will also be using nonstandard units of measure such as centimeter cubes!
Grade 3 News
Again, we must stress the importance of our students knowing their multiplication facts. It is a foundational skill for all future math understanding. This will require practice and studying at home. We are now doing an in-depth study of fractions and will also be covering geometry. Here our focus will be on quadrilaterals and their attributes, area, and perimeter.
We have scheduled our field trip for Friday, May 24. We will be visiting Old Sturbridge Village. We are very excited to share this with our students. Expect more information to follow in May
Happy Spring 4th Grade Families!
1. Get a good night's sleep/eat a healthy and hearty breakfast in the morning.
2. Try your best! Your best effort is all we can ask of our students.
3. Give yourself a moment to catch your breath! If you find yourself getting overwhelmed, take a moment to look away from the screen and take a short brain break. Then, once you feel ready, get back to the task at hand.
4. Think about the strategies you have learned and the language of the question.
5. Don't sweat the small stuff! No one is perfect (Shhh! Not even the teachers!)
April Newsletter - 5th Grade
It is hard to believe that April is upon us and that these 5th graders will soon be starting their final quarter here at Old Mill Pond. We are hoping that the snow that occurred in March will be replaced with pleasant spring days in April.
ELA
In the month of April, students will start their annual MCAS testing. ELA will be the first week in April. Students have two days of computerized testing in ELA. We are confident that students will take the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned over the year seriously and give their best effort. Please help us out at home by trying to have your students get a good night of sleep before testing days and by reminding them that hard work and effort helps lead to positive results! The Department of Education website has many exemplars or the types of questions, passages, and writing open responses that are expected of 5th graders. You may find it informational. If you have any questions about MCAS testing, please do not hesitate to contact one of your student’s teachers.
Technology News!
Hello parents!
I read an excellent article that I wanted to share with you!
Steps to good digital parenting
Here are six steps the Family Online Safety Institute recommends taking in order to be a good digital parent:
Talk to your kids
Your child is still learning to make good decisions on their own -- whether they're 3 or 17.
This is where you come in.
Talk to them early, and often, about peer pressure and why they should resist it.
Be open and direct.
Remind them that they should never do anything they are not comfortable with -- online or offline.
Let them know to tell you if someone asks them to do something that they think is wrong and not to talk to strangers online. With all the craziness in the world these days, you really can't remind them of this enough!
Educate yourself
Not familiar with a game your kids love? Learn how to play it!
Hear your kids talking about a new social media app? Learn how to use it!
Search online for anything you don't understand -- there's a wealth of information out there about almost every app and game created. You might find that you enjoy the same games or apps your kids do -- and it might open up whole new lines of communication between you!
Use parental controls
Almost every online platform offers parental controls to help you restrict the types of content your child can view. Use them and check periodically to make sure they're working.
Set reasonable time and usage limits
Set rules about how much screen time is acceptable and what your kids are, and aren't, allowed to do online.
The Family Online Safety Institute suggests putting a family contract in place that includes sanctions if agreed-upon limits aren't followed.
Be present
As the Family Online Safety Institute put it, "Friend and follow, but don't stalk." What does that mean? It means if your child is old enough for social media, you should "friend" them -- but respect their space, and don't be the parent who comments on every photo!
You should also talk to your child about what's appropriate and what's not appropriate to share online -- from personal information to photo choices.
Be a good role model!
You can talk to kids all you want about limiting screen time, but if they see you on your digital devices all the time .... well you're saying one thing, but certainly sending a different message! When it's time for the kids to unplug, you should too.
Find something you can do together -- go for a walk, play a game, or even curl up together on the couch to read a book.
Momo might be a no-no, but that doesn't mean we should be any less vigilant and involved in what our kids are doing online!
Article from: Elizabeth Patton is the publisher of Macaroni Kid North Birmingham, Ala.
OMP Literacy News - April
MA DESE Parent Guides
Often parents have questions about how they can help their students at home, what topics are covered at each grade level, etc. The MA DESE Parent Guides are a great resource for these questions and others.
These guides to the Massachusetts learning standards help families understand what students are expected to know and be able to do by the end of each grade. Designed to help families and teachers work together to support learning, the guides are available in English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and Simplified Chinese.
Six Flags Six Hour Reading Program
Thank you to those students who turned in their Six Flags Six Hour reading logs by the February deadline. Tickets normally arrive in late April or early May. Once tickets become available, they will be sent home with your child. Tickets can be used at Six Flags New England on the dates specified.
Wonders/ECRI Update
OMP is continuing to implement our new reading program Wonders in Grades K-5 and our new phonics program ECRI in Grades K-2. Most grades are spending 5 days on a lesson (several reading selections, guided readers, close reading activities, etc.) while a few grades have elected to follow a 7 day lesson rotation. In general, students have 45 minutes of whole group instruction a day and then break into small groups for activity centers and targeted skills groups. Students also have a separate block for writing. Students continue to have access to Lexia as a supplemental reading program that can be accessed at home or school.
In addition to everything above, Grades 1, 2, and 3 have started WINN (What I Need Now), a 30 minute block each day where students break into small groups by grade level to work on a specific skill. All students in Grades 1, 2, and 3 are involved in the WINN groups. Each WINN rotation lasts 4-6 weeks and then students begin a new group rotation.
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If you have questions about any of the topics above, please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or Ivy Peritz-Smith, OMP K-5 Reading Specialist, at iperitz-smith@palmerschools.org.
April Dates to Remember
Tuesday, April 2 - Grade 3 and 4 ELA MCAS
Wednesday, April 3 - Grade 5 ELA MCAS
Thursday, April 4 - Grade 5 ELA MCAS
Friday, April 5 - OMP Grades Close
Tuesday, April 9 - School Banking
Friday, April 12 - OMP Report Cards Issued
April 15 - April 19 - Spring Vacation
April 22 - April 26 - Kindergarten Registration 9am - 2pm
Tuesday, April 23 - School Banking
Wednesday April 24 - Kindergarten Registration 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Monday, April 29 - Grade 3 and 4 Math MCAS
Tuesday, April 30 - Grade 3 and 4 Math MCAS
MCAS Schedule
ELA sessions for grades 3 and 4 - April 1st and 2nd
ELA sessions for grade 5 - April 3rd and 4th
Math sessions for grades 3 and 4 - April 29th and 30th
Math sessions for grade 5 - May 1st and 2nd
STE sessions for grade 5 - May 8th and 9th