End of May

Dear Families,

Our field trip to the Peterborough Historical Society was fun and interesting.  I hope you've had time to look at the old Antrim town maps to see where all of the schoolhouses were once located.  The children were amazed to discover that  some of them were near where they live presently.  Perhaps some of the old foundations are still standing. I wish to express my thanks to those parents that were able to come on the trip. All of you were a big help. Speaking of field trips, I'm still waiting to get permission slips from about 12 students for the trip to the seacoast on June 4th.  Please get those in next week.

We have been sharing the data from the school day interviews, and graphing the results.  We will be finished next week, and will be presenting the conclusions at next Friday assembly.  We were going to lead the assembly this Friday, but a change in the schedule has occurred.  Instead, we will be going over to the Great Brook gym for their spring concert on this Friday, the 21st.  We should be leading assembly on the 28th.  That assembly will also recognize our wonderful volunteers.

We have finished our unit in math on graphing and probability, and have begun the next unit.  It is on numbers and patterns up to 1,000. Please take a look at the math papers coming home in the Friday folder.  The papers will give you an idea of the concepts presented.  Homework for next week will reinforce this new unit, as well as, review previous units.   There will be no spelling portion for homework.  We will not have a spelling test next Friday, either.

News for next week:  NWEA Testing

For three mornings the children will be taking the spring NWEA tests.  They will be tested in language use, reading, and math.  Our scheduled times are between 9:00 AM until noon on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  The class will be divided into two groups in order to have access to a computer in the lab. The time allotted for each testing session is 90 minutes.  The scores from these tests are used to measure progress from the beginning of the year, and also, to help us with placement decisions for third grade.  Your support is greatly appreciated in assuring that your child gets a good breakfast, ample rest, and comes to school with a snack.  I thank you in advance.

Upon finishing the NWEA testing, we will have a celebration on Friday, the 28th.   We will be having a pizza party with a pizza demonstration by Ric of " Ric and Diane's Pizza."   I will take a count of how many children want pizza, and will provide enough to feed those that want pizza for lunch that day.  If your child would rather have school lunch that day, or bring their own, that is fine.  We will still all eat in the classroom, watch a short movie, and have extra recess.   

Have a great weekend.  The weather is predicted to be warm and sunny.

Old Schoolhouse Interviews : Upcoming Field Trips

Hello Families,

The month of May is upon us, and we have been busier than ever.  First, I want to remind you that our next field trip is next Wednesday, May 12th.  We will be going to the Peterborough  Historical Society to visit their reconstructed one room schoolhouse.  A school bus will be our transportation.  We will be leaving around 9:10 AM, and returning between noon and 12:30.  If you have volunteered to chaperone for this trip, I will be phoning you to explain how the children will be grouped and what the activities will be.  I thank you in advance for your cooperation.  I also appreciate your help with the interviews.  Some of the children have already turned them on, and we will begin sharing them next Monday.  Please let me know if this project is a hardship.  I could arrange for your child to interview an adult at school.  The due date for the interview is Friday, May 14th.  We will be presenting some of the data at Friday morning assembly on the 21st of May.

Our last field trip of the year will be on Friday, June 4th.  Information about this trip to the NH seacoast and a permission slip are enclosed with this newsletter.  Please return the slip as soon as possible.  A few parents have already arranged to come as chaperones, but more are needed.  This is a joint trip with the first graders, and we will be taking two school buses.  If you would like to drive your own vehicle,  and transport your own child, please indicate that on the permission slip. 

Here is a bit of news about our classroom work. In math, we are finishing two units on measurement.  The children learned about different units of measurement for length, weight, and capacity.  It was a broad overview which included the metric system.  This week, we have extended the concept of measurement to telling time, and using a calendar.  I appreciate your support with the math homework, especially this week with the time packet.  We will continue to review these measurement concepts, and I encourage you to involve your child in practical uses to reinforce and improve these skills.  Our next unit in math will be on graphing and probability.

In literacy, we have been enjoying a chapter book called: " The Year of Miss Agnes".  It is a story about a one room schoolhouse set in a remote village in Alaska in the 1940's.  I brought in an old school chair ( from my grandmother's house).  The children have been taking turns sitting in it during read aloud.  I think it dates back to the 1920's or 30's. In our reading groups, we have been focusing on identifying the main idea and the conclusion.  We are also practicing passages to improve fluency and expression. 

Lastly, I hope you have seen our bulletin board in the hallway.  It showcases the children's ABC pages on the Arctic, the Iditarod, and Alaska.  I will try to get them photographed, and put them on our blog.  They are fabulous.