The Moreau Messenger
October 2015
Mr. Conrick's News!
We are so pleased to have started off a new and exciting school year with your children! As I reflect on the programs and the successes we have seen here at Moreau, it is with a keen awareness that it is only with your support that we move forward together. We as a building are grateful for all of the support we are given by you, our Moreau community.
As we move throughout this year, we will continue to focus on high academic standards as well as teaching students what it means to be good people who reach out with care to others. If we accomplish those things, then we will be successful in all that we do as educators.
As always, we want you to be partners with us as we move forward into this school year. If there is anything that we can do to assist you on the home front toward the academic goals of our students, please do not hesitate to contact us. It is with great respect that we walk hand in hand with you in the education of your children.
I wish you a wonderful fall season! Take time to get outside, enjoy the fresh air, and give your families great bonding experiences. Thank you for all you do!
Sincerely,
Matt Conrick, Principal
First Friday Celebration
Kindergarten
We are off to a wonderful start in Kindergarten! The children are very excited about school and are already learning about new letters and sounds, sight words, shapes, and school rules/safety.
Thank you so much for all of the school supplies that you have sent in. Please be sure to send in a healthy snack and drink (juice box or water) each day. It is important to check your child’s balloon folder each and every night for notes and daily work. If you need to contact us, please attach a note to this balloon folder. It is our primary means of communication.
Fall (Autumn) has finally arrived and at times, the building can be chilly. Please send your child to school each day with appropriate clothing. We will be studying the life cycle of apples and pumpkins in the upcoming weeks. We have a field trip scheduled for October 21st to Ellms Farm in Ballston Spa. Information and permission slips will be coming home soon.
Our little scientists are busy becoming meteorologist and predicting the weather each day at Calendar Time! What an amazing, group of children. COOL STUFF!!!!!
We are working on using our manners and printing our first names neatly during our writing and reading workshop. Please practice these skills at home, as well.
We are really looking forward to a wonderful year with our new friends. They are all shining stars!
Warmest Wishes,
Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Howk
First Grade
Dear Parents,
First Grade is up and running!! Your child is very busy making new friends and learning all the new things that happen in First Grade. One new thing for them this year is they now have their own desks filled with lots of new learning tools. They will also have homework assigned Monday through Thursday. We encourage parents to work on these assignments with their child nightly and practice the given skills. Your enthusiasm goes a long way!!
With academics, your child has been busy learning new spelling and vocabulary words, reading and listening to neat stories by Eric Carle, making new words with phonograms, writing sentences with proper punctuation, graphing, counting, writing numbers from 0-10, and learning about the life cycle of a butterfly.
First Grade is full of learning and we look forward to working with each and every child. Our doors are always open, so feel free to ask any questions or bring up any concerns you may have. We welcome parents to be volunteers in our classrooms. If you are interested in donating your time, please see us. We’ll put you to work!!
We would like to thank all the parents who donated items to our HSA baskets. Mrs. Carayiannis’ class made a “Garden Theme” basket and Ms. Kerr-Weir’s class made a “Greeting Cards” basket. We hope some of you were winners!
Thank you for the time and effort you put into your child’s education. They truly are the ones who benefit the most from your devotion to this cause. We are looking forward to a great year!
Your First Grade Teachers,
Mrs. Carayiannis and Ms. Kerr-Weir
Second Grade
Ms. Bresnahan and Mr. Armenio and would like to welcome all of the Second Grade students to the 2015 – 2016 school year.
Each of the classes are off like a lightning bolt this year. They are both starting where First Grade left off continuing to work with the New York State Math Modules and getting the students ready for all of the Common Core challenges ahead. I’m sure you have noticed some unique Math techniques which will be an excellent foundation for skills that we’ll learn throughout the school year.
One of the differences between the two classes this year is that Mr. Armenio’s class will be piloting a new Readers Workshop program. We’re only a couple of weeks in, but the students seem excited about the lessons and we think it’s going to be a very positive experience. Ms. Bresnahan’s class will learn the same skills in an equally effective manner.
Be on the lookout for information coming home within the next couple of weeks about our first field trip of the year which will be on October 23rd. We’ll be heading to Ellms Family Farm. This is always an outstanding field trip. Hopefully, the weather is gorgeous and you’ll be able to join us.
It is going to be an incredible year and you are welcome to come along for the ride.
Third Grade
Wow! It’s great to be back! The students are doing a splendid job getting used to our routines in Third Grade!
In ELA, we’ve discussed using evidence from the text to support our answers to comprehension questions and we’ve discussed all of our story elements. We’ve also changed our “Spelling” to Word Work. We were able to send a letter home detailing the changes in our Word Work, and the new structure.
In class, we talked about how it’s perfect to just be us, and we hope you get to see our SELFIES in the front hallway. As long as we’re motivated, we can overcome any difficulties. We’ve also discussed how we can all achieve what we set out to accomplish if we don’t give up. It might not be easy, but we can do it!
In Math, we continue to use the Common Core Curriculum to solve word problems and equations with greater depth and understanding. We’ve worked with our RDW, (Read, Write, Draw Strategy), to draw tape diagrams, number bonds, and arrays to compose and decompose numbers and solve equations. Thank you so much to all the parents who have helped with homework over the past month. Your input is invaluable to our math success! Please continue to study your math facts for all the operations each night! We’ve been reviewing addition, subtraction, and we’ve begun multiplication and division. All practice will certainly help our math fluency.
In Science and Social Studies, we are continuing to learn about our world around us. The first trimester we will study maps, the continents, deserts, and their landforms. We are very interested in the world, it is fascinating!
We continue to learn new cursive letters each week! We love to write in cursive!
Sincerely, Mrs. Becerril & Ms. Baker
Important Dates to Remember
Open house is on September 28th, 6-8pm.
We are very excited about our field trip to the Wood Theatre on October 28th.
Our school photos are on October 16th.
Parent/Teacher Conferences are on November 20th, 23rd, 24th.
Fourth Grade
We are off to a great start in 4th Grade! We are establishing routines and expectations and getting to know our new students. We have begun both Reader's and Writer's Workshop, and we are excited about how much our students love to read! Everyday, we will teach a mini-lesson on skills and strategies that advanced readers use, and then our students will have the opportunity to practice those skills in their own reading and writing. We can't wait to see their progress this year.
We switch classrooms for Science and Social Studies. Our students love to have a change of scenery and to experience a different teacher. The 4th Grade Social Studies curriculum covers NYS history from the Iroquois Indians to the Erie Canal. We will have many special days including Colonial Day and Iroquois Day to bring history to life. InScience, our students will be performing experiments throughout the year. They will be learning and practicing all of their measurement skills and learning about everything from animals to chemistry and everything in between.
Finally, in Math we will be building on the concepts that they learned in 3rd Grade. A contributing factor for your child's success in Math is knowing his or her facts fluently. Please practice as much as you can at home.
Mrs. Lange and Mrs. Pisani
The 4th Grade classes loved the visit from the hot air balloon!
Fifth Grade
This month we went on a field trip to Skidmore College to visit the Tang Teaching Museum. We spent time in the art galleries and participated in a hands-on activity related to the exhibitions. We also went for a walking tour of the campus.
In Social Studies, students continue to study Mexico. We are exploring Mexican culture through music, arts and crafts, geography, clothing, and language. This month, we will have a visitor from the World Awareness Children’s Museum teach us about Mexico’s holidays and clothing. We will try on authentic Mexican clothing and learn more about Day of the Dead. We also are planning an authentic Mexican Feast! Ask one of our fifth graders to tell you all they know about Mexico.
In Math, we finished working with place value and have begun adding and subtracting decimal numbers.
Our scientists began the study of the human body. We learned about the digestive system, as well as the basics of good nutrition.
In Writing, we have begun to write creatively about a “snapshot in time” in our lives. We are learning what a personal narrative consists of and strategies to improve our narratives and our writing techniques. We are enjoying adding specific details to draw our readers in and grab and maintain their attention.
Fifth Grade launched a creativity block this year. Students chose between a media club or a robotics club. They will be working in groups all school year to solve problems and complete student-driven projects. We can’t wait to see their innovative solutions!
Mrs. Cormie, Ms. Pike and Mr. Edwards