May 2015 - Norman Bridge Elementary

V o l um e 13 , I s s ue 9
M a y , 2 01 5
S p e c i a l M a y F lo we r s Is s u e
Bridge Bugle
89
Years
―Bruno‖
A CPS Certified “Creative School”, A CPS ―Rising Star” school and “School of Distinction”, a CPS “Exemplary Achievement Award” Winner, an “Autonomous Management Performance School” (AMPS), an Illinois Honor Roll of Schools
―Academic Improvement Award” & ―Spotlight School Award” winner, a national SPEAK UP 200! School award winner,
a national myON “Celebrate Reading” award winner. Named by Chicago magazine as a top 10 “Most Promising Places”
school! A CPS Creative Arts School Certification Level 1 Fine Arts School and a CPS School Quality Rating Level 1+ School!
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Brake’s Take
2
May Bridge Calendar
3
Students of the Month
4-5
Perfect Attendance
6-7
8
Honor Roll
News from the Grades
9-25
‘14-’15 CPS Dates
28
Special points of interest:
• Superstar Bridge Teachers!
• 3rd Quarter Honor Roll &
Perfect Attendance!
• Spirit Week Info!!
• STMath Student Superstars!
• Tons of other great stuff!!
Bridge Teachers Selected for
Prestigious Teacher Programs!
Our very own National Board Certified (NBCT) 7th/8th grade departmental science teacher Mrs. Iammartino was selected as a fellow for the
Michigan State University (MSU) Wipro STEM and Leadership Fellowship Program. MSU in partnership with global tech giant Wipro
Ltd. Is launching this innovative fellowship program designed to empower math and science teachers in
urban K-12 schools to create transformative, innovative and multimodal instructional experiences for students. The selection process was
highly selective and we are very
proud of Mrs. Iammartino’s achievement! Way to go Mrs. Iammartino!
Ms. Michelle Balice
Partner School
Mrs. Tracy Iammartino, NBCT
7th/8th grade departmental language
arts teacher Ms. Balice was selected
as a Summer Fellow of the 2015
Chicago Area Writing Project Invitational Summer Institute Plus in
Writing. The first part of the institute is focused on developing a
teacher’s writing skills and background knowledge of writing theory.
The second part of the institute is
spent on developing a professional
development presentation that can
be brought back to the school and
shared with other writing teachers.
The selection process for this institute was also highly selective and we
are very proud of Ms. Balice’s
achievement! Way to go Ms. Balice!
―Funds for this Newsletter activity provided by NCLB Title I funds‖
B RAKE ’ S T AKE
May 4th-8th
Do you have any
ideas, suggestions,
or comments on
ways to improve our
school and the services that our children receive? If so,
please call, write a
letter, or see me to
share your ideas.
Your input is greatly
appreciated.
Thank You!
Dr. Brake
Construction of a new eightunit classroom annex will
begin this month. The new
classroom trailer will be located on the playground North of
the existing four-unit classroom annex building. Construction will be completed
this summer and we will have
expanded classroom capacity
for the 2015-2016 school year.
May Non-Attendance Days for Students
Monday, May 25th, 2015
Is Memorial Day Holiday
No School
Remember those who gave their all...
May 2015
Staff Appreciation Month
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
8
9
15
16
PTA
Meeting
8:15 AM
3
4
Teacher
Appreciation
Week is
May 4th-8th
10
5
6
7
Family Night
Spring Book Fair May 4th-7th
Buy One - Get One Free!
11
12
13
14
Mid-Quarter
Progress Reports
Distributed
To Students
Today
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
Memorial
Day
Holiday
No School
LSC/
NCLB PAC
Meetings
5:30 PM
Spirit Week (see page 26 for details)
31
School
Ends
June
19th
Indicates day of non-attendance for students
May - Elementary Students of the Month
Kindergarten
I. Djoudi
A. Marquez
A. Correa
J. Kociubinski
J. Crespo
D. Aguilar
R. Salamy
First Grade
K. Robertson
T. Hemphill
V. Davila
Second Grade
K. Bubniak
S. Vasquez
N. Cantrell
J. Altamirano
M. Davila
R. Manalo
L. Medellin
M. Polinski
Third Grade
L. Steier
A. Bank
Fourth Grade
K. Santiago
E. Cogley
May - Jr. High Students of the Month
Fifth Grade
M. Kurowski
M. Guratowski
D. Potrzeba
Sixth Grade
A. Cross
N. Dziamba
A. Maldonado
Seventh Grade
J. Olivas
J. Galinska
L. Peza
Eighth Grade
E. Wiecek
C. Turcios
S. Anguiano
Bridge Elementary School Students of the Month are selected for their outstanding attendance, academic performance, and conduct.
Third Quarter
Perfect Attendance
K-8th
Room 001
Isabela Cantu
Miranda Gomez
KylieBlu Santiago
Aleksander Kolat
Gerard McCloskey
Alex Harcarik
Patrick Bryk
Melissa Ryerson
Kaitlyn Thompson
Dameslee Santiago
Giovanni Jaramillo
Jeremiah Torres
Emily Riffert
Christopher Sotelo
Room 002
Anthony Santos
Ailin Corona
Bryan Ruiz
Allysa Cayas
Gabriel Stepek
Robert Faldetta
Robert Bobowski
Elizabeth Szwajnos
Alessandra Barrios
Room 003
Carina Cabrera
Kayla Robertson
Jakub Kieras
Kenny Moreno
Romy Khatab
Zak Friedl
Room 004
Ismael Araujo
Dylan Thompson
Hailey Seggeling
Gabriel Glica
Room 101
Judah Kaufman
Ariana Reynoso
Remas Shaqboua
Lexany Candelaria
Room 102
Fahrid Amuda
London Robinson
Angelica Dylag
Room 103
Maragelys Valdez
Gabriella Galeno
Christopher Bermeo
Monserrat MartinezVillalobos
Miguel Mendoza
Room 108
Natalee Mielnicka
Kaia Karkut
Jakub Grabowski
Nathan Mydlak
Victoria Szejda
Olivia Kulinski
Robert Mroz
Room 111
Deborah Figueroa
Room 114
Jonathon Sanchez
Aliyana Figueroa
Xavier Flores
Julissa Roman
Rita Abbinanti
Christian Mercado
Room 202
Derwianna Bass
Naod Misghina
Benjamin Ciesla
Adrian Wisniewski
Room 203
Teon Hemphill
Andrew Chang
Adam Abuawad
Adam Eghnaim
Amishh Thakur
Room 204
Victorius Davila
Nicolas Bachorz
Michal Senator
Maximilian Zybowski
Filip Sobanski
Kaya Kwiecien
Pawel Doniec
Paulina Szot
Room 205
Anderson Galeano
Meleny ChiquiMontaleza
Moris Quijada
Jaiden Negron
Alexis Dimas
Room 206
Sebastian Roszko
Karol Bubniak
Lucas Zbranek
Julia Szwajnos
Aleksander Wozniak
Arkadiusz Bobowski
Martyna Naruszewicz
Philip Zugaj
Oliwia Klebba
Michelle Sapeta
Mikolaj Papciak
Room 207
Kira Jablonski
Juliana Crespo
Angel Diaz
Carolina Alcantar
Yaritza Rodriguez
Rikiya Hargrove
Room 208
Natalie Sanchez
Julia Budzynska
Lizbeth Sanchez
Luis Sanchez
Krzysztof Potocki
Eliza Erazo
Kamila Roj
Walid Lehbel
Room 209
David Augustynski
Karol Jakimowicz
Omar Eghnaim
Marisol Medina
Rikki Ryerson
Elizabeth Rivera
Gianni Bertacchi
Trevonne Mercado
Isaias Hernandez
Bianca Barrios
Room 210
Mia Espinosa
Tatiana Kotarba
Xavier Figueroa
Ramzi Salamy
Teanna Hemphill
Travis Serias
Leonel Chagolla
Kalino dela Cruz
Room 211
Philip Konieczny
Julia Smialowska
Monika Popovska
Michael Bachorz
Steven Tantchev
Victoria Lipski
Patrycja Szot
Room 212
Kacper Jakimowicz
Konrad Olech
Jennyfer Altamirano
Joseph Waltz
Blake Tewolde
Jonathan Jaramillo
Erika Leitner
Third Quarter
Perfect Attendance
K-8th
Room 214
Natalia Rodriguez
Jasmin Sosa
Marvin Gonzalez
Mary Namrood
David Chang
Jehad Eghnaim
Darey Baca-Correa
Jorge Gutierrez
Roselyn Sanchez
Raphael Manalo
Luis Angel Martinez
Room 201 Jr.High
Aaliyah Schein
Emanuel Crespo
Eric Kurkowski
Marcel Wiecek
Andrew Paz
Gabriel Reyes
Claudia Szczesna
Olivia Kocot
Kamila Drewniak
Katarzyna Zawislak
Angelo Mustafa
Adrian Cortes
Joshua Barron
Sheraz Ahmed
Michael Dylag
Room 202 Jr.High
Ruby Sanchez
Kevin Martinez
Nathan Macias
Zamary Huerta
Xiomara McCurty
Brice Kotecki
Ayah Ghunaim
Carlos Leon
Melissa Krajewski
Natalia Babula
Derik Galeno
Justin Kubica
Room 203 Jr.High
Sarah Guerin
Selena Gonzalez
Victor Diaz
Kyara Corona
Alison Cisneros
Kathrine Zurawski
Osman Amuda
Kamil Pisanko
Tomasz Mieczkowski
Michael Mlynarczyk
Natalia Turek
Nathan Matos
Alexander Cross
Lucas Kovarik
Room 204 Jr.High
Raquel Marrero
Melissa Espinosa
Katherine Miller
Olivia Czarnik
David Smith
Nina Dziamba
Raymond Alonso
Xiomara Cardona
Miya Badillo
Gia Mateo
Samer Sultan
Justyna Sliwinska
Jose Sanchez
Room 205 Jr.High
Adam Khater
Mia Castillo
Virginia Olech
Daniel Kocot
Julian Fajardo
John Wozniak
Victoria Bobro
Victoria Roj
Aishah Hasan
Sharlene Serias
Room 206 Jr.High
Loren Henich
Angelique Estremera
Mohammed Hasan
Klaudia Bucko
Carolina Augustynska
Victoria Olejarz
Maria Tantcheva
Room 301 Jr.High
Maya Konieczna
Angelica Bucko
Tyler Hoover
Emilia Wiecek
Radek Bobowski
Daniel Alcantar
Fernando Caballero
Christian Melecio
Room 302 Jr.High
Dylan Puente
Juliette Drewniak
Bruno Myszkowski
Kelly Conneely
Nathaniel Zukowski
Maliha Ahmed
Matthew Dwyer
Yahya Shariff
Karla Salazar
Room 303 Jr.High
Jocelyn Roman
Peter Majtyka
Damian Kijak
Jacek Gorniak
Lilian Martinez
Roberto Salgado
Julia Domian
Julia Wilkosz
Room 304 Jr.High
Isaac Gomez
Oscar Cabrera
Gilberto Torres
Nicole Hanek
Ryan Szajna
Anthony Guy
Anthony Bialczak
Roberto Hernandez
Pasquale Sanfelice
Allen Namrood
Daniel Kania
Sofiya Zhukotanska
Oleksandra Gorshko
Room 305 Jr.High
Edin Haskovic
Jesus Gonzalez
Omar Santiago
Vanesa Sanchez
Andres Hernandez
Anahi Rodriguez
Jonathan Aispuro
Joseph Alonso
Claudia Goral
Michael Sokolowski
Room 306 Jr.High
Alexander Santander
Lizbeth Cabrera
Joao Rodrigues
Kevin Barna
Mateusz Babula
Andre Namrood
Emily Alanis
Binh Le Nguyen
Julia Filimowicz
T H I R D Q UA R T E R
GOLDEN HONOR ROLL
Room 201
Victoria Cichowski
Matthew Kurowski
Malak Suleiman
Marcel Wiecek
Room 202
Natalia Babula
Room 203
Kamil Pisanko
Michael Mlynarczyk
Natalia Turek
Kathrine Zurawski
Room 204
Nina Dziamba
Melissa Espinosa
Konrad Freymiller
Ariani Gomez
Gabriela Jakimowicz
Natalia Obrochta
Justyna Sliwinska
Agnes Zajac
Michael Zuzia
Samer Sultan
Room 205
Julia Cichowski
Daniel Kocot
Kamil Michniowski
Virginia Olech
Sharlene Mae Serias
Room 206
Mia Badamo
Hazal Su Ceylan
Alba Mertiraj
Victoria Olejarz
Maria Tantcheva
Room 301
Liwia Kiryk
Emilia Wiecek
Room 303
Julia Domian
Paola Gomez
Damian Kijak
Anna Klejn
Sebastian Kuczek
Peter Majtyka
Monika Meyers
Jakub Rojek
Room 304
Stephanie Anguiano
Pasquale Sanfelice
Ryan Szajna
Room 305
Claudia Goral
Edin Haskovic
Kaitlyn Tarasiewicz
Jeremy Albios
Bartosz Baran
Room 306
Lizbeth Cabrera
Julia Filimowicz
Katarzyna Puc
Jenna Ulmer
Nicole Wolski
T H I R D Q UA R T E R
S I LV E R H O N O R R O L L
Room 201
Jamal Abughoush
Allison Aviles
Emanuel Crespo
Kamila Drewniak
Michael Dylag
Paulina Espinoza
Sophia Estremera
Alexandra Garcia
Klaudia Gawruk
Shawn Guerin
Olivia Kocot
Eric Kurkowski
Angelo Mustafa
Jacob Ortegon
Andrew Paz
Gabriel Reyes
Aaliyah Schein
Claudia Szczesna
Katarzyna Zawislak
Room 202
Ella Camaci
Michael Guratowski
Melissa Krajewski
Justin Kubica
Kevin Martinez
Kristian Martinez
Ania Meyers
Ciara Montanez
Tori Napolitano
Room 203
Alexander Cross
Selena Gonzalez
Sarah Guerin
Steven Henderson
Lucas Kovarik
Tomasz Mieczkowski
Juan Nevarez
Jahaira Rodriguez
Naomie Sarabia
Wojtek Strapoc
Room 204
Raymond Alonso
Justin Green
Raquel Marrero
Katherine Miller
Christian Reyes
Jose Sanchez
Olivia Czarnik
Room 205
Lucas Bigos
Victoria Bobro
Damien Chagolla
Paulette Gajardo
Aishah Hasan
Angelica Krasnicki
William Marin
Room 205 (cont.)
Eliana Mercedes
Adriana Palka
Gabriela Wiejata
Room 206
Carolina Augustynska
Brandon Bolivar
Piotr Gwizd
Mohammed Hasan
Loren Henich
Veronica Kozak
Milosz Rebeszko
Room 301
Radek Bobowski
Jordynn Garza
Naiya Graciani
Natalia Sliwinska
Zuzanna Strapoc
Room 302
Juliette Drewniak
Emilia Jakubaszek
Veronica Smialkowska
Nathaniel Zukowski
Room 303
Dayna Dayson
Jacek Gorniak
Adrian Grabowski
Alex Hernandez
Sage Reyes
Yuriy Savchuk
Room 304
Kayla Bassig
Rochelle Borda
Oleksandra Gorshko
Anthony Guy
Carmela Pesole
Pamela Sandoval
Gilberto Torres
Sofiya Zhukotanska
Room 305
Julia Galinska
Vanesa Sanchez
Joseph Alonso
Jose Salgado
Jonathan Sanchez
Andres Hernandez
Natalia Guerra
Jesus Gonzalez
Room 306
Emily Alanis
Kevin Barna
Binh Le Nguyen
Lukasz Peza
Patryk Romanowski
Nicole Vergel
Congratulations To Our 5th-8th Scholars!
Recently, preschool went on a field trip to St. Patrick
High School to see Goldilocks and The Three Bears hosted by The Stahl Family Theater. It was a fun, interactive
musical adaptation of the classic fairy
tale. The children enjoyed it very much.
They came back learning about story sequence, patterns, sorting, and role playing various parts from the play. It was
definitely an experience we would like to do again.
Important Dates:
Next Topic of Study:
We will be learning about the life cycle
of a butterfly and the many species of
butterflies. Also, we will learn how to
take care of them and we will release
them after our study. We are so excited!
Thursday, June 11-family
picnic (or Wed/10 if rain)
Mon-Tue, June 15-16:
Parent conferences for
kids going to K.
2015-2016
Pre-K Registration
June 17th-19th
Kindergarten News
Happy Spring!
We are so happy to start
learning about spring and what the new weather
brings us. With that being said, our
kindergarteners have begun learning about
plants. They have done plant and seed
experiments. They even took a trip to the Peggy
Notebaert Nature Museum. Here, they planted
beans and walked through a butterfly sanctuary.
Now in our classrooms, students are journaling
about the life cycle of a plant. They are also
learning about vegetables that grow below and
above the ground. This is making us all very
hungry for some more spring learning.
Springing into Pictographs
This week in math we worked on making our
classes favorite spring activity -pictographs.
Then students analyzed the data and found what
the most popular spring activity was amongst
the students.
2015-2016
Kindergarten
Open House
May 14th @ 5:00 PM
First Grade News
Recycled Robots
After reading a story about robots and
learning about reducing, reusing, and
recycling in celebration of Earth Day,
we used our knowledge and creativity
to reduce waste. Our first grade students, with the help of their families,
created their own robots using recycled materials. The awesome creations
consisted of recycled cardboard, metal
scraps, paper towel rolls, bottle tops,
nuts, bolts, CDs, plastic bottles, and
many more materials. To piece it all
together, most of the students used
aluminum foil and duct tape. Some
sprayed the robots with silver paint
and some gave them very interesting
hairdos. Each student presented their
robot to the class by listing the materials used to assemble the project and
explaining how it was made. A few
students designed unique robots like a
dog, doll, and a dragon. We hope that
you were able to catch a glimpse of
these recycled robots during report
card pick-up day.
th
Science Made Fun!
On April 20 the first graders got to experience how fun science can be.
Scientists from High Touch High Tech visited the classrooms to perform
some very cool experiments with the students. The title of the workshop
was called ChemFun and from the reaction of the students they really enjoyed finding out how much fun chemistry can be! First, they were able to
explore chromatography as they watched colors separate before their eyes.
Then, they made their very own silly putty using glue and Borax as they
learned REAL chemistry. Lastly, they watched chemical reaction take
place between baking soda and vinegar. They were quite surprised to see
the results. We can’t wait to explore science some more!
SECOND GRADE NEWS
Spring Is Here!!
What a wonderful Spring break we had relaxing and enjoying time spent with our family and friends! Although
the month of April was short, second graders were busy
learning about 3 dimensional shapes in math, and also
preparing their 3D City projects that were displayed in
the hallway for all to see!! Everyone loved them and
students did a great job doing them! We celebrated
Earth Day and learned about how we can all be kind to
our planet Earth. We are now learning all about weather,
the clouds, wind, tornadoes, and the water cycle. They
say April showers brings May flowers so we are looking
forward to what learning adventures next month will
bring!!
Our architects and designers worked hard over Spring Break to
create some amazing Chicago landmark projects!
Students used recycled materials to represent the most important
places and buildings in Chicago.
We were so impressed with their work, and we hope you were too!
What’s Up in Fourth Grade?
There are lots of great things happening during the last two months of school!!
Students are preparing for the 4th Grade Spelling Bee and the Poetry Slam. We will also be taking a couple of
interesting Science-based field trips to Chicago Botanic Gardens and the SciTech Hands On Museum.
In Social Studies, students continue to learn about the five main regions of the United States—
including geography of the states and their capitals.
Do you think you can match all 50 states with their capitals? Challenging huh? Let’s try a few … See if you
can remember the capitals to the states listed below:
Louisiana ______________________
Ohio________________________
North Dakota___________________
Alaska_______________________
Florida________________________
Virginia_______________________
Illinois _______________________________ *No, it’s not Chicago!!
Poems from Language Arts
SIMILE
―Sweet But Crazy‖
by: Jessica Kowalczyk
Bouncy like a ball.
Sweet like a cookie.
Yellow like the sun.
But crazy as a monkey.
Onomatopoeia
―Lunchroom Noises‖
by: Azra Haskovic
Slurp! Go the yogurt slurpers.
Pop, Fizz! Go the soda drinkers.
Splat! Go the messy eaters.
Swish! Go the teeth freakers.
Snap! Go the singers.
Choo, Choo! Go the youngsters.
Awww, the sounds of the lunchroom
So pleasant and messy!
Sumdog Contest
In a recent Sumdog contest, the 4th graders made a very impressive showing … GREAT JOB!!
Illinois (200 classrooms)
1st place - 001
2nd place - 002
3rd place - 004
20th place - 003
Nationwide (4361 classrooms)
1st place - 001
2nd place - 002
3rd place - 004
4th place– 003
5th & 6th Grade News!
Step Into the World of Social Studies!
RESPONSE!
For the past three weeks the 6th grade has been visited every Monday by Rachel and Kayleigh from
Response. Response is a safe place for teens to talk about their feelings and get help with bullies. The first
week we discussed empathy and reading people’s emotions. We found that by using empathy we can understand
how people are feeling and it helps bring us all closer together. In week two we talked about drama and conflict.
We did an exercise in which Kayleigh would read a statement and we had to step forward or back whether we
agree or disagree with it. This showed us all that we would
deal with conflict in one way or another in our lifetimes. In
our last meeting we discussed more about bullying and
how it makes others feel. With the help of Response all of
us learned how to be better friends and classmates.
(Pictured are Rachel and Kayleigh from Response with our 6th
grade Ambassadors)
- Written by Konrad Freymiller & Ariani Gomez
In Social Studies, we have been learning about Egypt, Kush,
Canaan. These are located near the Nile River. The Nile River is
interesting in its own: Instead of flowing from south to north, it
flows to north to south. We learned about the geography of the
Nile River and blazed through Chapter 7 of our textbooks. We
are now working on continuing in our unit and are currently
working on Chapter 8: The Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs. In olden
Egypt, there were 3 kingdoms: Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, and the New Kingdom. This chapter introduces the Ancient Pharaohs who lived during those times and their monuments they left behind. We have analyzed Pharaoh Khufu, who lived 2551 B.C.E to about 2528 B.C.E (Before Common Era) and established a 2
million block pyramid, which only took them 20 years to build! Amazing, I know. We will soon look at Pharaoh Sensusret 1: Pharaoh of the Arts, Pharaoh Hatshepsut: Promoter of Egyptian Trade, and Pharaoh Ramses
2: Military Leader and Master Builder. We love the Egyptian Unit and are excited to learn more about it!
- Written by Konrad Freymiller & Ariani Gomez
The 5th graders are continuing to learn about the affects of European
colonization on the Americas, how it affected the lives of the Europeans
as well as the Native Americans. We are learning about causes, effects,
and outcomes. We read a very interesting article from Howard Zinn’s
book called A Young People’s History of the United States. Through a
close reading, we learned additional information about Christopher Columbus and now understand the point of view of the native Arawak in
a better way. We’ve seen how using primary sources or first-hand accounts can help to back up claims, (even for famous authors like Howard Zinn!) and had collaborative conversations about text-dependent
questions regarding the chapter called “Columbus and the Indians.”
Read it for more perspective !
More 5th & 6th Grade News!
READING ROUNDUP
Sixth Grade Reading
April is National Poetry Month, and in Reading class we worked on preparing for the PARCC test with analyzing poems and knowing differently literary
poem devices such as alliteration, assonance, consonance, and several others. We
analyzed poems from famous poets such as William Shakespeare, Shel Silverstein,
and several other slave poems such as ”Log Cabin” and ”Tree of Life” We also analyzed limericks, which are poems meant to entertain. These poems included swallowing a wrist watch, sneeze in various keys, and growing a nest on a man’s beard.
We also analyzed Science Fiction and Fantasy. Both are more alike than you think. Both include
imaginative worlds, unusual characters, and strange events. However, there are different main themes in
both genres. Science Fiction has two main themes: The dangers of taking the natural environment for
granted, and the effect of technology on our society. In fantasy, themes often deal with good vs. evil, the
weak vs. the powerful, or characters overcoming odds and completing difficult journeys.
By: Konrad Freymiller and Kamil Pisanko
5th Grade Reading Class
At reading class we are currently learning about paraphrasing. Paraphrasing
means to put the authors words and ideas into our own to get better clarity on what
they are trying to say. We read many different articles, one was about how people
use masks around the world. When we read it we had a separate chart that said
“notes” and “thinking” under notes we wrote important things from the story we
read. Under thinking, we put our own opinions about what we are reading. In the
future we are going to watch the movie “Bridge to Terabithia” since we just read
the book, we will compare the two. The movie will let students see how it all really
looked. We even created our own version of what Terabithia looks like to us as a project.
By: Matt K.
Even more 5th & 6th Grade News!
5th Grade SCIENCE
In science, we are learning about levers and pulleys. There are three
lever classes. A class 1 lever, where the fulcrum is in the middle, and the load
and effort are on opposite sides. A class 2 lever has the load in the middle, and
the fulcrum and effort on opposite sides. In both the class 1 and 2 lever, there is
an advantage in effort. An example of an object that provides a gain in effort
is a crowbar (class 1 lever). The class 3 lever consists of the effort in the middle,
and the fulcrum and load on opposite sides. In the class 3 lever, we gain an advantage in distance. An object that provides us a gain in distance is a broom.
In science, we also learned about pulleys. So far, we learned about two
types of pulleys: single fixed pulleys, and single movable pulleys. The single
fixed pulley provides a directional advantage, but we do not gain a mechanical
advantage. A directional advantage is an advantage that is provided by pulling one way, and the object goes the other. The single movable pulley provides
a mechanical advantage, but we do not receive a directional advantage. A mechanical advantage is an
that allows movement with using less effort. Both types of simple machines allow us to do work with less effort. For example, a crowbar allows us to lift stones without using much effort. This is a lever. Another example is using a pulley to lift heavy objects and move them without applying much effort.
By Marcel Wiecek & Klaudia Gawruk
6th Grade SCIENCE
In Unit F, we learned a lot about the Sun, Earth and Moon. We
learned about the earth, the moon and its phases, the lunar cycle, tides and
a little about the sun. We used the information from the activities to complete a final project about planets that would recap what we learned. Each
group got a different “fictitious” planet which we had to find the characteristics such as day length, seasons, tides, extreme tides, year length in Earth
days, year length in the planet days and daylight/nighttime hours. Once we analyzed the planet, we determined what life would be like on the planet. Finally, we compared these characteristics to Earth. In Unit F,
we learned about a lot about things in space and how our Sun, Moon and planet work.
By: Tomasz Mieczkowski and Lucas Kovarik
Bulldog Conductor!
It was April 3rd when I was chosen to conduct The Chicago Chamber Winds. I was called on and then
the clarinetist told me how to conduct. Then, I stepped up near the stage and started to conduct. I was
taught to conduct by moving the baton up and down. The faster I moved the baton the faster they played
the song. I started to move the baton slowly and it barely sounded like they were playing any music at all. I
then started to move the baton faster and it started to sound like music again. I felt very nervous because I
thought I was making the song sound worse. They then stopped playing because it was the end of the song.
They told me to take a bow and everyone began applaud.
By: Mohammed Hasan
7th/8th Grade News
7TH READING
By: Julia Filimowicz and Dayna Dayson
In 7th Grade Reading, we’re learning about science fiction. You may think it’s
just aliens and space stuff, but did you know that there’s more to learn about
this genre? Yup! There are many sub-genres under science fiction, like dystopias, time travel, world at risk, and more. We had to choose an independent sci
-fi book to read for an upcoming project, and we have learned and read many
examples together in class. Our first story was “Dark They Were, and GoldenEyed” by Ray Bradbury, which included Martians! Next, we’re reading about
the scary future society in “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut.
Look what is on our
eboard!
bridge7and8.bridge.sit
e.eboard.com

High School Information for 8th
graders.

Incentive program
descriptions can be
found on our welcome page.

All homework,
instructions for
online resources
and more.
Check it out!!!!
photo courtesy of gloster.com
photo courtesy of quazoo.com
Studying the Great Depression
By: Pamela Sandoval & Nathaniel Zukowski
In Social Studies the 8th graders are studying the Great Depression. We’ve
learned that the Great Depression all started when the stock market crashed
on October 28, 1929, also known as Black Tuesday. In order to get a better
understanding of how it all happened, we signed up on the Student Stock
Trader website. At the beginning students had to research companies we
wanted to invest in and were then given $50,000 to purchase stocks. The
goal is to invest in stocks that would gain in value, which would then earn
each shareholder more money than they started off with. During the hours of
8:30am to 3:00pm, the stock market is open to trading and the stock values
begin to either increase or decrease, depending on how the company does throughout the day. For example,
as of Friday April 24th, Under Armour opened trading at $69.74 and closed at $68.90. If someone purchased
Under Armour stock that morning they would’ve lost $0.84 per share. If a person owned 10 shares in Under
Armour stock, they would have lost $8.40 that day. Students have become very competitive thanks to the
leaderboard feature on the website, which is updated every 5 minutes according to actual stock market prices. Students get to compare how they are doing to others in their classroom. It has been an awesome experience and we now have a better understanding of how the stock market works and how it was a major factor
causing the Great Depression.
More 7th/8th Grade News
Energy Studies in the 8th Grade
By: Liwia Kiryk, and Oleksandra Gorshko 8B
In this unit the eighth grade students were studying different types of energy like; biomass energy, nuclear
energy, geothermal energy, etc. One of our favorite activities in this unit was “Measuring Calories”, in this activity
we burned a tortilla chip to see how much energy it would release. Then we calculated how many calories the chip
had, based on the total temperature change in the water. The formula we used was: Energy Released (Calories)=
temperature change of water (°C) x mass of water (g). Many of our groups got different but similar results because
the sizes of our tortilla chips varied.
In another activity we conducted we were preserving ice. In this activity we built “coolers” using items we brought
from home, that we thought would be good insulators. Many of the objects that kids brought were; bubble wrap,
paper, plastic cups, boxes, polyester, glass, and aluminum foil .We discovered that the best insulator was polyester, because the least ice melted in its presence. This was because the polyester we brought wasn’t a conductor or
in other words an item that passed energy.
In conclusion these activities have taught us a lot about energy and their variations. All these activities have also
taught us about saving energy and living more efficiently. Look forward to these activities in the eighth grade and
have fun while doing them!!!
Genetics!
By: Joel Marin and Armando Ayala
We started learning about genetics in Science class. Genetics is the study of heredity and the variation of inherited
characteristics. It talks about how you have the eye color you have, your height, and just basically how you look. Sometimes the way you look doesn’t always come from your parents, it sometimes comes from your aunts, uncles, and
grandparents! Sometimes you can inherit diseases due to your DNA. One of these diseases due to genetics is the
Marfan Syndrome. The Marfan Syndrome makes you appear thinner and taller than anyone else in your family. It can
affect your heart, and it can make you unable to play sports with a lot of contact (hockey, football, soccer). One of our
activities included collecting data about the different variations in our classroom. We made graphs to show the various
traits. Genetics is something people have always wondered about. I wonder what else we can learn about genetics?
This is just one of many things you can learn about genetics!
Bridge Elementary Theatre Arts
Theatrical Units of Study in K-4th
The Kindergarten classes are continue to utilize controlled movement in
order to tell a story and portray characters. Our favorites so far have been
The Napping House and Gilberto and the Wind. The first grade have
incorporated plot into their improvisations; so far they have improvised
retellings of Jack and the Beanstalk and created their own fables based on
Peter and the Wolf. Second grade are working on movement for the stage
and are exploring the qualities of movement, as well as what a character’s
movement says about them. Third grade classes have completed their
sound unit but continue to utilize what they have learned as they begin a
new unit on characterization. Fourth grade students are beginning the
process of script writing for their Living Newspaper projects. Living
Newspapers expose modern day issues and pose questions about these
issues to an audience with the goal of inciting societal change. The Living
Newspaper articles that the students are creating will be tied to themes
they have encountered in their class reading units.
Cinderella—May 6, 2015
We have just welcomed our stage crew to begin rehearsing with us for Bridge School’s annual play. This year we are presenting an adapted
version of Cinderella. With the stage crew helping out it’s all coming together for our dress rehearsal and performance next week! It’s an
exciting time for us as we count down the days; don’t let the clock strike midnight without taking in this show!
Playwrighting Club
Tuesdays & Thursdays 3:15-4:15pm
Elementary Building Library
The Playwright’s Club have had their first meetings and we are excited to begin creating our own stories! So far we have covered story
structure, universal themes, and brainstormed our own play ideas. This week we will look at how to craft our stories in a way that will engage
out audience. Club activities will cumulate in a staged reading of original plays.
Want to enjoy Chicago Theatre?
Chicago is one of the most happening locations in the country for new, exciting theatre. Practicing the skills of a good audience help students
internalize proper theatre etiquette and instill high expectations for themselves and others in the arts. Check out these family-friendly
performances for a night of fun!
Fancy Nancy the Musical
January 31-May 24
Emerald City Theatre at the Apollo
2540 N. Lincoln Ave.
Chicago, IL 60614
773.935.6100
Goldilocks and the Bears
April 3-August 7
Chicago Kids Company
St. Patrick Perf. Arts Center
5900 W. Belmont
Chicago, IL 60634
773.282.8844
Pirates!
Now thru May 17
City Lit Theatre
1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.
Chicago, IL 60660
773.293.3682
The Day John Henry Came to School
April 28—May 16
Merle Reskin Theatre at Depaul
60 E. Balbo Dr.
Chicago, IL 60605
K-4th Music Notes By Mr. DeNovi
L.J. Slavin arrived at Bridge Elementary School with a banjo, harmonica, musical saw, jaw harp, limberjack, and a few
other impressive artifacts on the morning of April 2 nd. He put on a show and presentation about Appalachia and the music of the
mountains. Mr. Slavin is a master of many musical instruments and has a vast knowledge of American musical history. He was excited and so were our students.
European immigrants from Wales, England, Scotland, and Ireland first settled the Appalachian region of the United States
in the 18th century. These immigrants brought a rich musical tradition with them. Mr. Slavin played the banjo throughout most of his
show. He revealed to us that the banjo that had developed in the Appalachian Mountains actually originated in Africa! The audience
was surprised and delighted to hear this! American music from the time of the first European settlers has always been a mix of many
different cultures. It mixed to form a very unique American sound.
Mr. Slavin showed off his jaw-harp. It sounded like an android or a robot. He also showed us the limberjack, which is a toy
from Appalachia. It looks like a little wooden man and Mr. Slavin showed us how to make it dance. He played the harmonica on a
tiny metal rack he had around his neck while he played the banjo at the same time!
The highlight of the show was when he took out the saw. He didn’t do any carpentry, but he did play it like a musical instrument. He used a violin bow and carefully bent the saw to make music. He played Somewhere Over the Rainbow. That performance took us straight home from Oz!
The International Music Foundation was very kind to bring L.J. Slavin to Bridge Elementary School. Students have been
asking me if he’s coming back next year. I tell them ―I sure hope so! He was great!‖
5th-8th Jr. High Music News by Mrs. Sands
April was National Poetry Month and the students were learning about the musical aspect of poetry. All songs
were once poems and every poem has the possibility to become a song.
Students listened to songs and wrote down what they thought the songs were about. While this was easy for most
of the songs, there was one that proved to be quite difficult. The song A River Flows In You is by the Korean pianist Yurima and is completely instrumental; meaning there are no words. The students had to listen to the story
being told with just the music. Some heard a love story, others heard a story of loss and sadness.
For the month of May, students will focus on learning about the many different careers one can have in the music
field. Students can also look forward to a guest speaker at the end of the month. This guest speaker will be the
perfect ending to the music careers lesson.
2015 Talent Show
The talent show will take place on Thursday, May 14th during
school hours.
This year’s show will feature 14 acts by students and one act featuring the Bridge teachers. The acts will include a mixture of singing,
dancing, gymnastics, piano, guitar, and even comedy.
Hope to see you there!
Junior High Computer News
With only a few weeks left in the year we, at Bridge Junior High, will embark on learning
some fun programing skills. We have already learned some rudimentary HTML and now we
will try our hand at the fun program of Scratch. Scratch is categorized as a blocky program,
where coding can be made by attaching drag and drop blocks together. This program was developed by MIT as a way to teach coding skills and it is used at many levels - even at the college level. When students feel comfortable with Scratch we will use those new-found skills to
mix sound samples in a program called Ear Sketch and make drawings in Pencil Code. I am
looking forward to seeing what our students will create!
Don’t miss Scratch Day this year!
Saturday, May 9th, from 10:00 am until 3:30 pm at West Ridge Elementary School, 6700 N. Whipple St., Chicago, IL 60645.
Come and take pride in the fact that our Technology Club will be displaying their maker and robotic projects for the greater educational community.
Scratch Day Chicago is the largest Scratch Day Event in the Midwest. People come from all over Illinois and the surrounding
states. The day’s events will include: beginner and intermediate scratch workshops, an App Inventor workshop, hands-on robotic
demonstrations and more. This is a free event and a pizza lunch is provided. See you there! Please go to the following website to
register and find out more: http://day.scratch.mit.edu/events/17/
Jr. High Media Center News by Mrs. Burr
In April, we concluded our unit on the different genres located within our Fiction Collection. We then began a short unit on Poetry,
since it is a genre within both Fiction and Non-fiction alike, and April is National Poetry Month. Students learned about the different
types of poetic forms such as Cinquain, Concrete, Couplet, Free Verse, Haiku, Limerick, Narrative Poetry, Sonnet, Tanka, and Terse
Verse.
In May, we will segway into a look at the Non-fiction Collection within our library. We will learn more about how the Non-fiction
Collection is organized, and why it is that we use the Dewey Decimal Classification System. We will also continue to learn how to
utilize all the different materials available in both the physical and virtual Media Center. When all is said and done, the students will
know how both the physical and virtual Media Center is organized and how to best utilize the materials that are at their disposal.
This will help them with research projects, as well as reading for personal enjoyment.
As I announced in April, the Media Center was awarded a sizeable grant this spring, which means more new books for our Media
Center! Here is just a sampling of some of the new titles (both Fiction and Non-fiction) we will be able to add to our collection
thanks to this generous grant!
This Journal Belongs to Ratchet by Nancy Cavanaugh
Will in Scarlet by Matthew Cody
Mountain Dog by Margarita Engle
Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans
Hidden by Helen Frost
Chomp by Carl Hiaasen
Titanic: Voices from the Disaster by Deborah Hopkinson
See you at Harry’s by Johanna Knowles
Camo Girl by Kekla Magoon
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Shadow on the Mountain by Margi Preus
May B. by Caronline Starr Rose
The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson
Lincoln’s Grave Robbers by Steve Sheinkin
Rump by Liesl Shurtiff
Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Golden Boy by Tara Sullivan
The President Has Been Shot by James L. Swanson
Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage
Are You
There Yet?
STMath 100% Club
Kdg.
7/8th Grade
1st Grade
3rd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade 4th Grade
Nicole B.
Giulana M.
Zack B.
Erik H.
Elisea C.
Julia C.
Damian W.
Kaia K.
Karol L.
Nicole H.
Liv S.
Nicolas K.
Maciej P.
Jonathan A.
Konrad S.
Damian H.
Carolina A.
Natalie H.
Alex K.
Gabriel G.
Claudia G.
Yasmine T.
Marek M.
Jonathon S.
Joanna Z.
Jacob C.
Jesus G.
1st Grade
Victorius D.
Maksymillian
K.
Isabella K.
Elizabeth S.
5th Grade
Lizbeth C.
Nicholas B.
Philip K.
4th Grade
Nicole M.
Ruby S.
Katarzyna P.
Michal S.
Steven T.
Brandon M.
Frank P.
Ruben R.
Kristian M.
James B.
Maximillian Z.
Judith V.
Patryk K.
Patrycja S.
Matthew K.
Kevin H.
Vanessa S.
Crystal C.
Adam S.
Sebastian K.
Olivia W.
Melissa K.
Paola G.
Michal R.
Karl A.
Magdalena T.
Carina C.
Natalia B.
Damian K.
Amishh T.
Pawel D.
Julia B.
Michael B.
Erik T.
Victoria C.
Kevin B.
Andrew C.
Paulina S.
Emily R.
David N.
Denys K.
6th Grade
Jeremy A.
Joshua G.
Christian S.
Jeremiah T.
Emily M.
Sharlene S.
Ryan S.
Olivia W.
2nd Grade
Dameslee S.
Monserrat M.
Sergio R.
Emilia W.
Xavier F.
Lizbeth S.
Kaitlnn T.
Kayla R.
Sheraz A.
Anthony G.
Travis S.
Luis S.
Melissa R.
Kenny M.
Kamil M.
Kevin P.
Anthony R.
Nehir C.
Alex H.
Romy K.
Adriana P.
Natalia S.
Grayson Y.
Blake T.
Patryk B.
Nataliah J.
Victoria B.
Sofiya Z.
Adrian W.
Yarilee L.
Geena G.
Gabriela M.
Gabriela W.
Roberto H.
Adamaris B.
Rafael A.
KylieBlu S.
Jakub K.
Gabriel R.
Sophia C.
Julia C.
Jonathan J.
Miranda G.
Sylvia K.
Julia C.
Nathaniel Z.
Kamila R.
Joseph W.
Pawel G.
Adriana R.
Lucas B.
Dylan C.
Christian B.
Olivia N.
Rosalie R.
Angel S.
Marcel W.
Pamela S.
Kelly K.
Marisol M.
Ian E.
Cristofer G.
Daniel A.
Zak F.
Sophia E.
Lesly H.
Alessandra B.
Abraham MV
Jacob O.
Makayla M.
Meryam E.
Adriann C.
Anthony S.
Dylan T.
7/8th Grade
Gabriel S.
Paola N.
Alexander M.
Bryan R.
Tyler S.
Joel M.
Nicole K.
Hailey S.
Julia F.
Olivia P.
Miarly S.
Jayden D.
Brayan S.
Sofia D.
Kaiden R.
Karol J.
Nicholas R.
Jaretsy E.
Chris B.
Jehad E.
Peter S.
Benjamin C.
Diego C.
Gabriella A.
David C.
Mary N.
Zaidalvelys V.
Marvin G.
Patryk R.
Sebastian G.
Victoria L.
Velandria K.
Naomi R.
Rita A.
Julissa R.
Feden M.
Matthew K.
Nicolas D.
Samuel S.
Olivia Z.
Filip W.
Katelyn K.
Oliver K.
Xavier F.
Paola V.
Alexandra K.
Kyle J.
Alyssa C.
Robert B.
P.E. News
Athletes of the
Month!
Ultimate Frisbee and Jump rope!
Hello Bridge Community,
Welcome to the May Edition
of the Physical Education
Bugle page. For the month
of May we will have a lot of
exciting and different activities. One event that will be
taking place is the Jump-athon on May 22nd where we
help raise awareness for
people with heart disease.
We will jumping rope and
doing various jump rope
activities throughout the day
with each class from 1st-4th
grade. We will also be collecting donations until May
22nd for all those who are
able to donate to the American Heart Association. We
will also be participating in
the game of Ultimate Frisbee since the students have
become comfortable with
throwing and catching a
Frisbee. Jump roping will be
Students getting ready for our Jump Rope
heart event!!
for
To the right we have our Athletes of the Month. In order
we have Kira Jablonski , Jacob Chalabi, Jahaira Rodriguez,
Natalia Babula, Tomasz Pikul, and Jason Harenberg.
P.E. at the Junior High
Hello Bridge Family!!
During the month of May the
Junior High is participating
in the Football/Hoop-athon. This is a fundraiser for
American Heart Association.
During the week of May
11th-15th students will be
engaging in a number of
football and basketball
activities for the Football/Hoop a-thon. Please
submit all money by May
13th. There are extra envelopes available in the lunchroom. When a person raises
$10 or more he/she will
receive a t-shirt. If your child
would only like to just purchase an American Heart
Association t-shirt he/she
can submit $10 to Mrs.
McGuire or Mrs Crespo.
During the week of the 11th
students will be able to
wear the t-shirts, If you have
School Spirit Week
May 26th - 29th
Tuesday: Crazy Hair/Hat Day
Wednesday: -K-4th Primary Picnic DayK-4th Jersey/Sports Wear Day
5th-8th Dress like a Rock Star/Movie Star
Thursday: -5th-8th Sports Day5th-8th Jersey/Sports Wear Day
K-4th Dress like a Rock Star/Movie Star
Friday: Pajamas/Flannels Dress Day
Please Note: Students who dress up and participate in Spirit Week do not have to
wear uniforms during Spirit Week!
Students who do not participate must wear school uniform.
2015-2016 School Year
Begins Tuesday, September 8th
For all CPS Students!
Quick Start Student Registration Days
are: August 31st - September 4th
from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM
@ the Bridge main building
All new and returning
Bridge students must register!
Hate Delays? Students Transferring?
Parents: If you are transferring your child/children out of Bridge School at the end of the school
year, please notify the Bridge Office now! We will have your transfer and paperwork ready and
you will avoid delays in processing during a very busy time of the school year. Thank you.
Page 27
V o l um e 13 , Is s u e 9
P L E A S E J O I N T H E PTA
AND
HELP SUPPORT OUR SCHOOL!
It only costs $10.00 to become a Bridge School PTA member.
All money raised by the PTA is spent on our children! Parent
volunteers are also needed throughout the year to help support
school functions. Please see a PTA officer, school office personnel, or call PTA Vice-President/Volunteer Coordinator Sue
Sim @(773)671-1132 to volunteer. PTA meetings are held on
the first Wednesday of every month at 8:15 AM in Room 110
of the elementary building..
-Market Day Pick-Up ScheduleMonday, May 18th
Monday, June 15th
Pick-up times are from 2:15-3:15 PM in the hallway
outside the Bridge Elementary School Gym - Enter at Door #7
Please Note: All Market Day school profits are spent directly on our students!
Please Collect Box Tops for Education &
Campbell’s Soup labels
Special May Flowers
Issue
I M P O R TA N T C P S D A T E S
2014-2015 SCHOOL YEAR
Holiday
“Bridges to Success”
Bridge Elementary School (PK-4)
3800 N. New England Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60634
773-534-3718
Bridge Jr. High School Branch (5-8)
7001 W. Addison Street
Chicago, Illinois 60634
773-534-0940
Principal:
Dr. Christopher Brake
Assistant Principals:
Mr. Juan Cardona
Mrs. Joyce Giannini
LSC
President:
Mr. Daniel Aviles
Parent Representatives:
Mrs. Karen Bolivar
Mr. Eric Friedl
Mrs. Samantha Hinkle
Mr. Joseph Ulmer
Mrs. Susan Szajna
Community Representatives:
Mrs. Yvonne Majewski
Mrs. Pat Walenga
Teacher Representatives:
Mrs. Wioletta Chwal
Mr. Sean Clancy
Non-Teacher Representative:
TBD
Administration:
Dr. Christopher Brake
PTA
President:
Mrs. Susan Szajna
Vice-President/Volunteer
Coordinator:
Mrs. Sue Sim
Secretary:
Mrs. Samantha Hinkle
Treasurer:
Mrs. Vanessa Aviles
NCLB PAC
President:
Daniel Aviles
Secretary:
Yvonne Majewski
BAC
President:
Sylwia Krupinska
Vice-President:
Jose Solis
Secretary:
Aneta Bucko
Representative:
Yoani Salazar
Alternate Representative:
Ewa Sady
Monday, May 25, 2015 - Memorial Day*
Vacation
Summer Vacation: June 22 - September 7*
Report Card Distribution Day
Fourth Quarter/Last Day of School for Students - Friday, June 19, 2015
Mid-Quarter Progress Report Distribution Day
Fourth Quarter - Friday, May 15, 2015
*Indicates days of non-attendance for students
-PTA Coming EventsMay 6th PTA Meeting
May 27th Primary Picnic (K-4th)
May 28th Sports Day (5th-8th)
June 3rd PTA Meeting
June 4th Perfect Attendance Party (K-8th)
June 12th Eighth Grade Graduation
June 18th Kindergarten Graduation
PTA Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month
@ 8:15 AM in Room 213A of the elementary school building.
Volunteers Are Needed For These Events!
To volunteer call PTA Vice-President/Volunteer Coordinator
Sue Sim @ 773-671-1132
Thank You For Your Support!
Hate Delays?
Students
Transferring?
Parents: If you are transferring your child/children out of Bridge
School at the end of the school year, please notify the Bridge Office
now! We will have your transfer and paperwork ready and you will
avoid delays in processing during a very busy time of the school
year. Thank you.
LSC = Local School Council NCLB PAC = No Child Left Behind Parent Advisory Committee
PTA = Parent Teacher Association BAC = Bilingual Advisory Committee