crocker chronicles - Crocker Farm Elementary
Transcription
crocker chronicles - Crocker Farm Elementary
Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqw ertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwert yuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyui opasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopa CROCKER CHRONICLES sdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdf Issue 8 ghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghj klzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklz xcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcv bnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbn mqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmq wertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwe rtyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwerty uiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuio pasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopas dfghjklzxcvbnmq 2/15/2013 Dear Crocker Farm Families, All of our 4th grade, 5th grade and 6th grade students recently participated in the annual School Geography Bee. The competition included such categories as Cultural Geography, Across the Country, Around the World and Physical Geography. After a fun packed preliminary round of competition, we moved on to the final part of the tournament with ten participants. Emerging as the overall winner from this wonderfully talented pack was Seamus McMurrer, a fourth grade student in Ms. Lambert’s class. Congratulations to Seamus and to all who participated. Seamus now hopes to progress to the State finals, held sometime in March. At the February 5, 2013 Amherst School Committee meeting, administration presented recommendations for addressing the shortage of direct instructional time in the elementary schools. The report to the committee is available at http://www.arps.org/node/4380. Superintendent Maria Geryk also presented a report on the proposed FY14 Amherst School District budget, including the impacts of addressing the budget gap. Details are available at http://www.arps.org/node/4382. We strongly encourage all of our Crocker Farm families to become fully informed on these important matters. If you have further questions and/or comments related to both topics, please reach out Cathy Aldrich (362-1600 or [email protected]) and she can easily arrange a time for you to meet with Ms. Foley or Mr. Shea. Thanks to everyone for their continued patience and understanding as we work to improve and refine our school-wide safety and security. Amherst Police Department Officer Jim Damouras, our locally based community officer, recently offered us strong words of encouragement and support for our newly implemented procedures, particularly offering praise for our willingness to work to improve our systems for morning arrival and afternoon departure. We will work hard to tweak and improve all procedures in the coming days and weeks ahead. Sincerely, Derek Shea, Co-Principal Anne Marie Foley, Co-Principal Queridas Familias de Crocker Farm, Recientemente nuestros estudiantes de 4to, 5to y 6to grado participaron en la competencia anual escolar de geografía el School Geography Bee. La competencia las siguientes categorías: Geografía Cultural, Cruzando del País, Alrededor del Mundo y Geografía Física. Luego de una ronda de competencia preliminar divertida, nos movimos a la parte final del torneo con 10 participantes. El ganador de este grupo talentoso fue Seamus McMurrer, un niño de 4to grado de la clase de la Sra. Lambert. Felicitaciones a Seamus y a todos los que participaron. Seamus ahora espera progresar a las finales estatales, que serán llevadas a cabo el Marzo. En la reunión de Comité Escolar de Amherst que se llevó a cabo el 5 de febrero de 2013, la administración presentó recomendaciones para abordar la escasez de tiempo de instrucción directa en las escuelas elementales. El informe al comité está disponible en http://www.arps.org/node/4380. La Superintendente Maria Geryk también presentó un reporte basado en el presupuesto del año fiscal 2014 para el Distrito Escolar de Amherst, incluyendo los efectos de hacer frente a las brechas presupuestarias. Los detalles están disponibles en http://www.arps.org/node/4382. Exhortamos a que todas las familias de Crocker Farm se informen con relación a estos asuntos importantes. Si usted tiene más preguntas y/o comentarios relacionados a ambos temas, por favor póngase en contacto con Cathy Aldrich (3621600 o [email protected]) y ella podrá fácilmente programar una reunión con la Sra. Foley o el Sr. Shea. Gracias a todos por su continua paciencia y comprensión mientras trabajamos para mejorar y perfeccionar la seguridad y la protección general de nuestra escuela. El agente, Jim Damouras, del Departamento de Policía de Amherst, nuestro agente local, recientemente nos ofreció palabras de apoyo y estimulo dado a nuestros nuevos procedimientos implementados, particularmente por nuestra disposición de trabajar para mejorar nuestros sistemas de llegada en la mañana y salida en la tarde. Trabajaremos duro para refinar y mejorar todos los procedimientos en los días y semanas a venir. Cordialmente, Anne Marie Foley and Derek Shea Co-Principals Interim Co-Principals: Derek Shea & Anne Marie Foley Safety: o Entering the building - Please enter and exit through the main entrance during the school hours, 8:30-3:05. All exits excluding the main entrance will be locked. o Visitor’s Pass: All visitors/parents entering the building are required to stop into the main office to sign in and receive a visitor’s pass. Do not go directly to your child’s room. We will be happy to assist you. o Bus Pass/: If your child will be taking an alternate route home, please send a note to inform the teacher/office otherwise they will go home their regularly scheduled route. NO EXCEPTIONS! Please call the office by 12:00 pm to make any other changes in student’s transportation plans to avoid delays or errors in dismissal. Thank you! Absence Notification: Parent/Guardians are required to call the absence line at (413) 362-1659 by 9:00 am if your child will not be in school. Illness, bereavement, family emergencies, are considered excused absences. All other absences are unexcused unless cleared with the administration. School Cancellation: Please call the school cancellation line at (413) 362-1898 in the event of inclement weather conditions. Tardy: School begins at 8:40 am. If you child is tardy to school, please have him/her stop by the main office for a pass before going to their classrooms. School hours: School begins at 8:40 am and ends at 3:05 pm. **Except on WEDNESDAYS school ends at 1:20 pm.** Visiting days: February – Wednesday, March - Thursday LSSE Afterschool Program: Afterschool Director – Grace Marczuk LSSE Main Office – (413) 259-3065 Direct Line – (413) 259-3177 On-site phone number- (413) 325-3155 Email – [email protected] Chronicles online consent: If you are not receiving the Chronicles online, and would like to, please email Georgia Malcolm at [email protected] along with your name, child’s name, teacher and grade level. Lunch Payments: Please make checks payable to Amherst School Lunch Program. Allergy Precautions: Our school community is trying to attain a fragrance free zone. We are asking everyone to consider those individuals in our community who have breathing issues, which may be triggered by perfumes. This is especially important when one meet in crowded venues (such as on Curriculum Night), or in enclosed spaces (such as parent conferences). Thank you for your help in making our community a comfortable experience for everyone. Crocker Farm Elementary 280 West Street, Amherst, MA 01002 (413) 362-1600(Ph) (413) 256-0835 (Fax) Co-Principales Interinos: Derek Shea y Anne Marie Foley Seguridad: o Entrando al Edificio – Entre las 8:30-3:05, horas escolares, entre y salga por la entrada principal del edificio. Todas las salidas con la excepción de la principal estarán cerradas. o Pase de Visitante: Todos los visitantes/padres entrando al edificio deben reportarse a la oficina central para registrarse y recibir un pase de visitante. No valla directamente al salón de su niño. Es nuestro placer servirle. o Pase de Autobús/: Si su niño esta tomando un autobús alterno al que usualmente coge, por favor envíe una nota para informar al maestro/oficina, de lo contrario tendrá que coger el autobús que usualmente coge para ir a su casa. ¡NO HABRAN EXCEPCIONES! Por favor llame a la oficina en o antes de las 12:00 pm para hacer los cambios en transportación necesarios para su niño de esta manera evitaremos errores a la hora de salida. ¡Gracias! Notificación de Ausencia: Si su niño va a estar ausente de la escuela el padre o guardián debe llamar a la línea de ausencias al (413) 362-1659 en o antes de las 9:00 am. Se considera que la enfermedad, el luto y las emergencias familiares son ausencias escusadas. Cualquier otra ausencia se considera sin excusa y debe ser aclarada con la administración. Cancelaciones Escolares: En caso de mal tiempo por favor llame a línea de cancelaciones al (413) 362-1898. Tardanzas: La escuela comienza a las 8:40 am. Si su niño esta tarde a la escuela por favor recuérdele de pasar por la oficina principal para recuperar un pase entes de dirigirse a su salón de clases. Horario Escolar: La escuela comienza a las 8:40 am y termina a las 3:05 pm. **Con la excepción siendo los miércoles cuando terminan a la 1:20 pm. ** Días de Visita: Días de Visita: febrero – miércoles, Marzo - Jueves LSSE Afterschool Program: Director del Afterschool – Grace Marczuk Oficina Principal del LSSE – (413) 259-3065 Línea Directa – (413) 259-3177 Numero de teléfono en el sitio- (413) 325-3155 Email – [email protected] Permiso de recibir el Chronicles en línea: Si usted no esta recibiendo el Chronicles en línea y desea recibirlo de esta manera por favor envíele un email a Georgia Malcolm a [email protected] incluyendo su nombre, nombre de su niño, nombre de la maestra y el grado. Pagos de Almuerzos: Por favor ponga el cheque a nombre de Amherst School Lunch Programa. Precaución a las Alergias: Nuestra escuela esta tratando de lograr una zona libre de fragancias. Estamos pidiendo a todos los miembros de la comunidad que tomen en consideración a aquellos individuos con problemas de respiración que pueden ser iniciados por perfumes. Esto puede ser particularmente importante en áreas llenas de personas (tales como Curriculum Night), o áreas cerradas (como conferencias de padres). Gracias por sus esfuerzos en hacer de nuestra comunidad una buena experiencia para todos. Crocker Farm Elementary 280 West Street, Amherst, MA 01002 (413) 362-1600 (Tel.) (413) 256-0835 (Fax) News from the Music Room During December and January, Kindergarten students sang the lovely "Sharing Song," simple songs in Spanish, that contain the numbers up to ten, and the African-American spiritual "I'm gonna Sing When the Spirit says Sing." They practiced keeping a steady beat with instruments while singing the "Shape Song" that describes the colored shapes they each had, and experienced changing tempos while riding their imaginary horses to the "Merry-go -round" song. Children started to read and write simple rhythms on my "Heart Chart" with magnetic notes and relate the rhythms to simple rhymes. Playing the Tic Tac Toe game with the rhythm cards reinforced their knowledge of the notes. Interactive singing games included "Little Sally Water," "Jenny Mouse" and "Draw me a Bucket of Water." First grade students studied the two beat notes singing the "Tortoise song" (built on only half notes to express slow motion), "My Father's House" and the call-response song "Old House." Song with percussion instrumental parts included "A Sailor Went to Sea", the Japanese song, "Okina Taiko." Children also played note bells with the songs "Who's that?" and the "Snowman." Each instrumental activity reinforces musical concepts such as rhythm, pitch, scale, and octave and requires taking turns playing the instruments. For first and second grade students games included walking together as a "Choo- Choo Train" while stepping to the beat of the song and the interactive "Bluebird game." Second grade classes sang the famous song "Magic Penny" and made up verses to the Ugandan song "Dip-i-do." Students sang several rounds including the German song "Snow Drops." They loved the call and response calypso song "Cookie" and discovered the fermata in the song (sign for hold) that they practiced through movement while holding a bow in the Canadian dance, "Les Salutes." The class also enjoyed singing "Horsey, Horsey," an Irish song, which they accompanied with the rhythm sticks. Second and third grade students learned the song, "Tick Tock" a round that introduced them the sixteenth notes. They also passed the beanbags to the beat around the circle while singing it. Both classes sang the round "Scotland's Burning." Second grade students performed a pattern wit it with changing partners, while third grade students had a chance to play it on the colored Boom whackers (plastic tuned tubes) I borrowed from my other school. Third grade students sang the round "This Pretty Planet" and danced the all American dance "Yankee Doodle." They listened to a recording of a song built on a fable by the famous singer, Yous ou N'dour from Senegal and discussed the moral of the story. Third and fourth grade classes studied the scale singing a song built on the scale, "Come Follow" and passed the beanbags around the circle keeping the beat to the recording of a Bolivian song "Carnevalito." Fourth, fifth and sixth grade students sang the round, "New Year's Resolution" and discussed the lyrics. The same classes danced the Israeli hora to the recording of a Hebrew song, "Mayim." Students in fourth grade played the French round "Bird Song" in two parts beautifully on the xylophones. They danced the Seminole "Duck Hunting" dance and the African "Pata Pata" to a recording by Miriam Makeba. They also created and performed their own dance moves to a song, "Way down Yonder in the School Yard." Fifth and sixth grade students practiced playing different note values on the percussion instruments and had a chance to feel how the different fractions fit all together. They also played different rhythm combinations in percussion circles, including polyrhythm. A lecture kind of lesson with pictures from ancient cultures led them through the development and history of musical instruments and notation. The same classes sang and learned the history and origin of the National Anthem, "Star Spangled Banner" and the African American National Anthem, "Lift Every Voice." The same classes also played the famous song "Chopsticks" on the xylophones and danced the all American Charleston steps to a recording of the "Twelve Street Rag." Each class sang a song about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Chorus Musical Production date has changed. We will present the show Wednesday May 1st at 6:00 pm for families and next morning, Thursday, May 2nd at 9:39 am for the school community. Thank you for your support, Ms. Zsigmondi Date: February 27, 2013 Time: 7:00PM - 8:00PM Location: Amherst Regional Middle School Library You are invited to a conversation with the Director of Teaching and Learning, Dr. Rhonda Cohen, and the Math/Science Coordinator K-8, Dr. Ian Stith, to learn about where we are in the process regarding the 7th grade math program. Given that the district is reviewing the 6-12 math program, we are especially interested in meeting with parents/guardians to learn more about their child's experiences in our current program and answer any questions you might have. Thanks to everyone who donated food during the Martin Luther King Jr. Day food-drive last month. Thanks to your generosity, we were able to drop off almost three hundred pounds of food to the Amherst Survival Center! GRADUATION ANNOUNCEMENT: BABY PICTURES NEEDED! One of the fun parts of the graduation ceremony in June is looking at a presentation of baby pictures of ALL the kids in the 6th grade. In the next couple of weeks please take a look through your photos for baby/ little kid pictures of your 6th grade student. We also need group photos from class activities, sports, field trips, talent shows, chorus, etc. from Kindergarten through Grade 6 so if you have any of those please find them for us. Pictures can be from whichever school your child attended in Amherst. What to do: Email 3-5 baby photos of your student (jpg format) to [email protected] If you are unable to email digital copies of your photos, send copies to school. Please label everything very clearly on the back with your child’s name if you would like to have it returned! Send in-group photos if you have them. Thank you! Due Date: Friday March 8th, 2013 AVISO DE GRADUACION: NECESITAMOS FOTOS DE BEBE O DE CUANDO NUESTROS GRADUANDOS DE 6 GRADO ERAN PEQUENOS Como parte del Acto de Graduacion de los ninos de 6 grado en el mes de junio es ver la presentacion de las fotos de TODOS los alumnos cuando eran pequenos. Estamos solicitando que por favor que en las proximas dos semanas busquen fotos de sus ninos o ninas.Tambien necesitamos fotos en grupo de las diferentes actividades escolares, deportivas, excursiones, shows, coro, etc. desde Kindergarten hasta sexto grado, si tienen algunas fotos por favor envienlas. Las fotos pueden ser de cualquier escuela de su hijo assistio en Amherst. Que pueden hacer: Enviar de 3 a 5 fotos de cuando sus hijos eran bebes o ninos pequenos via correo electronico (formato jpg) a [email protected] Si es possible, por favor, mandenos fotos de grupos de amigos tambien Si prefieren, pueden enviar sus fotos (ponerles nombre claramente en la parte de atras) a sus fotos y especificar si quieren que las fotos les sean devueltas Fecha limite: Viernes, 8 de Marzo. Gracias! Read It Forward on World Read Aloud Day Read it Forward for World Read Aloud Day by reading aloud and giving the gift of story in any way you can. Read It Forward on March 6, on behalf of the 793 million people who cannot yet read. Join the Read It Forward Movement! Your Top 5 Actions to Read It Forward: 1. Read aloud. To a child you know, to a group of seniors, to a new friend, to an old friend. 2. Gather your colleagues and start a meeting by reading aloud an inspiring article, poem, or book excerpt. 3. Call or video chat friends who are far away. Reading aloud and sharing stories connects us across continents and oceans. Don't Forget... ...to tell us your Read It Forward story! Email [email protected] with details and photos from your special World Read Aloud Day celebration and we'll send you a LitWorld participation badge to commemorate your act of reading kindness! 4. Spread the word online. Make the WRAD logo your avatar and use our sample social media posts to rally your networks. 5. Host a fun event. The WRAD event kit has a step by step guide to organize your read aloud celebration. Visit litworld.org for more suggestions and to download our free activities.