a message from the principals - schoolwires · 2016-05-09 · summertime at the beach and quiet...
TRANSCRIPT
REEDS FERRY May, 2016
TIGGER TIMES A Message from the Principals
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We are certain that families enjoyed the spring break, and took time to get away or just get outside and enjoy the warmer spring weather. The warmer weather brings thoughts of summertime at the beach and quiet warm evenings with time to read and play with our children.
This month, we’d like to share with you some helpful practical tips and reminders on ways to help children become confident mathematicians.
Much of this information comes from the National Association of Elementary School Principals and is familiar to you.
First, help your children to understand that math is all around them, and touches their lives in so many different places: in the kitchen, at the grocery store, on the road, and designing projects and structures. In the kitchen, cooking and baking, using a recipe is a great way to help children understand different ways to measure and how to work with fractions. While cooking, remember to show your children the different measuring cups and spoons and have them explore how they relate to each other, such as how measuring two half cups of flour makes the same as one whole cup. For older children have them try to double or half a recipe. At the grocery store, help your child use a calculator to add up how much you have spent, or to figure out what is the best buy when purchasing an item like laundry detergent. Money is also a great teaching tool.
Have them choose something that they want to buy, and help them save toward it, keeping track of their progress.
In the car, children can look at mileage markers and determine how far they have traveled and how much farther they have to get to their destination. Engage your child in building or sewing something. Help them to measure fabric, wood or other materials as you work with them, learning about different units such as feet, inches, and fractions of units.
Lastly, encourage your child to be a problem solver. Have them think about what problem they are trying to solve. What information do they have and what steps are they going to take to arrive at the answer? Foster creative thinking and help them to accept that it may take several tries (failures) before they come to the correct answer. Talking about the “hows”, “whats” and “whys” is a great way to extend understanding!
Math is all around us and we can help our children avoid the anxiety that we may have experienced learning math and embrace, engage and even enjoy being a problem solver.
In closing, we look forward to the many exciting activities and events that occur between now and the end of the school year. Please keep close watch on the school and PFA websites for events and volunteer opportunities.
REEDS FERRY TIGGER TIMES May, 2016
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You are cordially invited to…
at
Reeds Ferry School
on
Thursday, May 26, 2016
from
5:15 – 7:30 pm.
Enjoy viewing more than 2,000 pieces of art
created by all children grades 1-4 under the direction of
Mrs. Mary Beth Donovan-Olson, Art Teacher.
Take a moment to view the beautiful Seascape Mosaic in the school
entryway. It was created by our 4th Graders along with this year’s Artist in
Residence, Lizz Van Saun.
Ice Cream sundaes will be available
5:00 – 6:30 pm at the
Parent Faculty Association’s Ice Cream Social.
Also, please stop by and visit the PFA book fair.
The Art Show
PFA ICE CREAM SOCIAL
THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016
There will be three (3) different seating times
Volunteers needed during all three seatings: (adults, students and teenagers welcome)
5:00-5:45 pm
5:45- 6:30 pm
6:30 pm – 7:15 pm
If you are able to lend a hand, fill out the flyer that came home with your child or contact Janet Krupp @ 424-3732
Tickets $2.50 per person includes various ice cream flavors with numerous toppings of your choice.
The money raised directly supports your child’s fun activities, such as the upcoming Fun Day that all the kids look forward to every year. Come show your support for the artists, students and the PFA.
COLOR-A-THON
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
The Merrimack Elementary school PTO Groups (Reeds Ferry PFA) COLOR-RUN: One Mile
Fun Run is open to all students from Thorntons Ferry, Mastricola Elementary and Reeds Ferry
Schools (Pre-k to 4th Grade), their families and teachers/staff”.
This race is designed to be a one-mile FUN run where participants are welcome to run, walk,
jog, skip or dance the entire race at their own pace!
This event will support our Educational enrichment programs and other activities that support
our students inside and outside of the classroom.
Event Website: http://shop.schoolathon.org/183854
SCHOOL ID: 110268
DATES TO REMEMBER:
All Paper registration forms and donation payments are due to the main office no later than
Friday May 6th.
We hope you consider joining us, either by volunteering for a station, sponsoring and/or
promoting the event, or donating to our fundraising campaign. For more details and up to date
information about this even, join our newsletter orn follow us on facebook at
www.facebook.com/MerrimackElementaryColorRun/.
Race Day is Friday, June 3rd!!!! at Wasserman Park, rain or shine.
The Color Blast After Party will be at 5:30pm.
Family Events
at the Merrimack Public Library
Most event registration requires a Merrimack library card.
Visit www.merrimacklibrary.org find out more and sign-up.
Dorky Diaries and Wimpy Kids
Thursday, May 5th at 4 PM
Ages 8 and up
Celebrate the popular book series Dork Diaries and Diary of a Wimpy Kid with games and
activities inspired by the popular series. This event is in conjunction with Children’s Book
Week. We’ll create our own journals for writing and doodling, and play games and
activities inspired by the popular series books. Sign up here!
Teen Event: Paper Prom Dresses
Friday, May 13th at 7:30 PM
Grades 6-12 Create beautiful ball gowns from paper and other unconventional materials, in a low-key
Project Runway type activity. Sign up here!
Family Book Group
Monday, May 23rd at 6:30 PM Ages 8+
This month we’re reading A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban. Pick up the book at
the library to read ahead of time. Sign up here!
Thank you!
Liz Gotauco Head of Youth Services www.merrimacklibrary.org
Find us on: Facebook - Twitter - Tumblr - Pinterest - Instagram
Thank you to everyone who participated in our annual Wellness Week at the end of April. We appreciate your support! Family Fun Night will be June 8th from 5-7pm at Reeds Ferry School. Save the date! More info will be coming soon. We hope to see you at our 10th Annual Family Fun Night!
Wellness
It’s hard to believe that we are in the final stretch of the school year. Hopefully everyone had a great break.
Now that the weather is getting warmer and the sun is out, here are a few tips for your child for the school
day:
-Dress your child in layers because it is still cool in the morning and often warms up later in the day
-Send in a water bottle that your child can keep on his/her desk; it is important to stay hydrated
-Send in a hat for sun protection
-I know that it is tempting to wear those cute little sandals to school, but sneakers are safer for playing on the
playground
--Do a tick check each night before bed as they are already out in force.
Also an important safety reminder for all of us: As I am sitting in my office in the mornings, I hear a lot
of talk about when it is OK or not OK to go around a stopped school bus. That got me thinking, so I called
the bus company and asked exactly what the rules are. This is what I was told: Whenever you approach a
school bus from any direction, which has stopped to pick up or let off passengers while operating its
flashing red lights, you must stop your vehicle at least 25 feet from the school bus. The only time you
do not have to stop is when you are on the other side of a divided highway. You must stay stopped
until the bus has started again or the bus driver stops operating the flashing red lights.
Not all buses have the stop signs so you must look for the flashing red lights. This includes the circle in
front of RFS, if a bus is stopped and is loading or unloading students and the red lights are flashing,
please do not go around them.
And once again, if you have any clothes that are too small for your child that may be looking for a new
home, please send them in to me. We can always use some extras when students may have an unexpected
need come up. It would be very much appreciated.
Enjoy the warm weather!!
News from the Nurse
April showers bring May flowers! This weather sure has been interesting this month. We
have been able to take advantage of the spring weather the past couple of weeks, and have
enjoyed the time outside. Kindergarten has been busy this month with our new big ideas and
our farm unit. The students have been working hard on farm journals and working with their
narrative writing. It is amazing how much prior knowledge our students have about animals.
It was fun to find out who has some of these animals right in their backyard! We have also
be working this month on main events, settings and characters in stories, and fiction and non-
fiction text. We enjoyed Mo Willems and his Knuffle Bunny series. He is a wonderful
author and a kindergarten favorite. Our students are continuing to work on number order,
writing numbers and skip counting. We started adding and subtracting, and enjoy using
manipulatives to help us count. The hallway has three very large barns with enough farm
animals to have our own farm. A special thanks to our KIAs, Mrs. Anderson and Mrs.
Carter for the wonderful work and preparations they did for us. We hope that you enjoy your
vacation and it is full of love, laughter and relaxation! Love, The Kinder Team
Our first graders have been learning all about life cycles. We have learned that animals have life
cycles along with so many other things in our environment such as weather, water and recycled
items. In April, we were able to see our caterpillars turn into butterflies. Our students learned about
how many days each stage takes, and what they need in order to survive.
In May, we will be hatching chicken eggs and learning about each stage of a chicken’s life cycle. We
will also learn about what a baby chick needs and how to take care of them.
To conclude our life cycle unit, we will be planting
seeds and watching them grow. Each student will get to
bring them home to watch them continue to grow all
summer long!
2ND
GRADE
Family Math Night
The second grade hosted a Family Math Game Night on Thursday, April 7th. Parents were invited in to
learn some of the games that we play in our math classes. Students were excited to share some of their
favorite math games with their families. Some of the games they played were Hit the Target, Fraction Top-
it, Name That Number, Array Bingo and Basketball Addition. They will now be able to play these math
games at home to extend their learning. It was nice to see so many parents able to attend this fun night for
their children.
Our third grade musical was a great success! Mrs. Isaac shared her passion for music and Jazz with our
students. The speakers, dancers, instrumentalists, and singers had a wonderful time learning about the
history of jazz and performing for our school and their families. Thank you to Mrs. Isaac for her love of
music and dedication to our students!
During the month of May, as part of the transition from Reeds Ferry School to James Mastricola Upper
Elementary School (JMUES), the principal and vice principal, Mrs. McGill and Mr. Morris, came to visit
all fourth grade classrooms. These visitors set a very positive tone for our students who will be attending
JMUES next year. On Thursday, May 19, our students will tour the Upper Elementary School and receive
more information on their new school. These are very busy and exciting times!
April’s Science Fair and science project investigations were perfect ways to help prepare the fourth
graders for the science NECAP that will be administered May 10-12th. Students will be asked to answer
questions from the 3 strands of science. These include: life science, earth/space science and physical
science. Students will answer multiple choice questions and formulate written responses to questions.
One exciting component of the science NECAP is that it will include a hands-on, performance-based task.
Mrs. Bavaro, Mrs. Merva, Mrs. Funicella, Mrs. Rosenswaike & Ms. Norton
President: Rebecca Mimms [email protected] Vice-President: Michelle Desmarais [email protected] Secretaries: Andrea Andris [email protected]
Hillary Maye [email protected] Treasurer: Shannon Rand
Board Member at Large: Natasha Bairamova [email protected] Volunteer Coordinators: Aimee Piccolo Lindsay Murray
Tigger Times Editor: Karen Bruce [email protected]
PFA NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
The PFA (Parent Faculty Association) is a volunteer organization dedicated to the support and
enrichment of education at Reeds Ferry Elementary School. Our goal is to provide enrichment to both
the faculty and students by establishing the means to offer additional programs, field trips and
materials to the school. All faculty, staff and parents of students at RFS are members of the PFA
and are always welcome at the general meetings. It is with the continuing support of our members that
we are able to offer all of the enrichment programs. It is the unselfish giving of time and effort by our
many volunteers that have allowed our children the benefit of these extra resources. Please help us
continue our goal by actively supporting the PFA in any way you can.
PFA General Meeting is Wednesday, May 18th @ 3:15pm in the Library. Babysitting will be provided for
your convenience in room 7. Any questions, please contact Rebecca Mimms at 661-8599 or
The PFA weekly emails will let you know about upcoming events and remind you of deadlines. You can
always opt out at a later date if you change your mind. If interested, just enter your email address at
https://www.groupvine.com/reeds-ferry-school/@@apply.
PFA NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
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May 4th: Class Portrait Day
May 21st: Father/Daughter Dance
May 23rd- 27thth: Scholastic Book Fair
May 26th: Art Show and Ice Cream Social
May 27th: Math Superstars Celebration
May 6th and 20th: Fruit Bar Day
May 12th and May 26th: Popcorn Day FREE POPCORN DAY: June 2nd Spirit Wear Fridays
Don't forget to show your Reeds Ferry Pride on Fridays!! Wear your favorite spirit wear or Reeds Ferry
colors!
Volunteers needed:
Frozen Fruit Bar assistances and shadow coordinator to take over next year. Please contact Janet
Krupp at [email protected] or 424-3732 to learn more.
Gardening – The garden and landscaping are always growing and always benefit from extra hands.
This is an every changing way to help. There are ways to help during or after school or even on
weekends. Set up a time to work with others or on your own. There is so much to do!! To learn
more, contact Lindsay Murray at [email protected].
Volunteers
Please tally your volunteer hours!!! To all the volunteers who either work at home, at a school function, or
in the school but were not "signed" in, email your hours to our volunteer coordinators at
[email protected]. Our school gets credit for the number of volunteer hours we accumulate!
Reeds Ferry School
15 Lyons Road
Merrimack, NH 03054
Phone: (603) 424-6215
Fax:(603) 424-6238
On the Web:
http://www.merrimack.k12.nh.us/Reedsferry.cfm
Don’t forget to record your at-home volunteer hours on the calendar and send it in with your child.
If you have forgotten to send in your previous months volunteer work, jot down your hours by month and
send those in too. Our School gets credit for the number of volunteer hours we accumulate!! THANK
YOU for all your help!
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1 2 3 4
Class Pics
5 6
Fruit Bars
7
8 9 10 11
12
Popcorn
13 14
15 16 17 18
PFA
Meeting
19 20
Fruit Bars
21 Father
Daughter
Dance
22 23
Book Fair
24
Book Fair
25
Book Fair
26
Popcorn
Book Fair
Art Show
Ice Cream Soc
27 28
29 30 31
Name: _________________________