COOL NEWS 1-22-2010 - Epping School District

January 22, 2010
Principal: Mr. Mark Vallone
Dean of Students: Mrs. Erin Milbury
Web Site: www.sau14.org
CALENDAR OF
EVENTS.
Jan. 28th–
28th Visiting author, Lita
Judge—order forms and payment
to purchase signed books must
be in by Friday Jan. 22nd
Feb. 1st1st-PTO Meeting, 7:00pm
@ EES Library
Feb 4th4th-EAGLE DAY, wear
your Eagle shirts
Feb. 4th4th-Artist in Residence
Kick Off Assembly “World of
Puppets, Grades K-3 10:00 to
10:45 and Grades 4 & 5 2:00 to
2:45
Feb. 5th5th-PTO Ice Cream Social & Karaoke, 6:00 to 8:00pm @
EES Multi-purpose Room
Principal’s Corner
Epping Elementary School Budget Update The School Board
presented its proposed budget to the town Budget committee last
Saturday. On Thursday, February 4, any Epping voter then has
the opportunity to take part in the Deliberative Session to be held
in the Epping Middle School gym. At the Deliberative session
voters can talk about and take action on the school warrant and
budget. At the Deliberative Session voters can make changes to
the warrant and budget. For example, they can add or subtract
from the proposed school budget. The Deliberative Session determines the final version of the Epping School District warrant
and budget will be voted on by a ballot vote. This ballot vote
scheduled for March 9 is a straight yes/no vote on the budget and
warrant articles. That vote takes place all day at the Epping Middle School gym.
Is participating in both sessions important? Attending the first
session is like the old fashioned town meetings Epping had in the
past in which the people who show up determine what happens.
Motions can be made from the floor to add or subtract the amount
of money spent on personnel and programs. If that motion
passes, the amount would be added to or subtracted from the proposed budget and then voted on at the March 9th elections when
voters have all day to go to the ballot.
What Epping Elementary School does or can do in 2011 is greatly
determined by this budget process.
Poems for I Love to Read Month
My Robot Does My Homework by Ken Nesbitt
My robot does my homework.
He helps me every night.
The trouble is he doesn't get
too many answers right.
He'd probably do better
at homework but, you see,
I built him, so he only knows
the things he learned from me.
The Octopus by Ogden Nash
Tell me, O Octopus, I begs
Is those things arms, or is they legs?
I marvel at thee, Octopus;
If I were thou, I'd call me Us.
The Ostrich by Ogden Nash
The ostrich roams the great Sahara.
Its mouth is wide, its neck is narra.
It has such long and lofty legs,
I'm glad it sits to lay its eggs.
Hope is a Thing with Feathers by Emily Dickinson
“Hope” is the thing with feathers —
That perches in the soul —
And sings the tune without the words —
And never stops — at all —
And sweetest — in the Gale — is heard —
And sore must be the storm —
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm —
I've heard it in the chillest land —
And on the strangest Sea —
Yet, never, in Extremity,
It asked a crumb — of Me.
Classroom News
Mrs. Bilodeau 1st Grade
Hello from 1B. The winter weather has arrived in full force. Please make sure your child is appropriately
dressed for outdoor recess (boots, hat, mittens, snow pants and coat ).
In Language Arts during word study, we have just finished learning about the flsz rule. The flsz rule doubles the letters flsz after a short vowel (buzz, kiss etc.) We are next turning to l blends (bl, cl etc.). We have a
very large word wall that the children are responsible for in their writing and reading as well as many red
words (those that don't follow the rules). Every student has increased their sight word vocabulary considerably
and all have improved their reading levels. Great job 1-B!! During our focus lessons we have been discussing
our schema (background knowledge) and how everyones is different based on life experiences. We are also
learning about text to self connections. What does the book you are reading remind you of in your own life?
What does it make you think about? We will also be making text to text and text to world connections.
During writing, our focus lessons have consisted of how to write non fiction. We have talked about how to
choose a topic, where to get information, how to write down facts in our own words and what conventions and
features are found in non fiction writing. Most of the children have illustrated their small moment published
stories and have begun writing about a topic of their choice. We will next focus on how to write a "how to"
book. We continue to write in daily journals and respond to books in book logs as well.
In Math, we have been learning to count and record, add and subtract large numbers. We have also been
discussing and practicing place value. We have explored area and weight and continue to reinforce time and
money. We have also been working on math facts and various ways to arrive at a given number (2+3=5,
1+4=5 etc.) The children have also learned the meaning of < > and = and that the 'alligator's mouth is always
open to the bigger number'. In addition, we have graphed our super bowl predictions a difficult endeavor now
that the Patriots are no longer involved. :)
In Science and social studies, we have been discussing winter and the changes it brings. We have learned
about migration, hibernation and animal camouflage. We have conducted an experiment to see what melted
fastest: snow, packed snow or ice and recorded our findings. We have made winter snowflake poetry, snowflakes and followed 'how to' directions to make a snowman. This week we are learning about Civil Rights, the
people who made a difference in the struggle and what the term means.
Your children have made so much progress since September!! I am very proud of them. Happy Winter! Enjoy the snow and stay warm.
Mrs. Rossel 2nd Grade
It’s hard to believe that the end of the second quarter is already upon us! Time has flown quickly in
second grade and I am so happy with the growth the children have made thus far and I am excited to see where
they will be by the end of the school year.
In Mathematics, we have just finished Unit Six. The unit focused on Whole-Number Operations and
Number Stories with specific lessons on the addition of three or more numbers, comparison number stories,
subtraction strategies, Multiplication with arrays, multiplication number stories and division stories. I have
also introduced daily “problem solvers.” These are multi-stepped word problems that require the students to
create tables, graphs, lists, pictures, or use logical reasoning to find the solutions. The class consensus is that
these problems are both challenging and fun! In addition, we continue to review basic math facts daily.
In Reader’s Workshop we are talking about how readers make sensory images when they read. Good
readers utilize their five senses to make the stories come to life. We have been reading books like the The
Screaming Mean Machine, Thundercake, and Roller Coaster which conjure up strong sensory images. In addition, we have discussed how our sensory images change when we read different genres. We have been reading
non-fiction and fiction books which focus on penguins and we have compared the differences and similarities
in our mental images.
We are in the midst of a Unit of Study on letter writing in Writer’s Workshop. We have discussed the
many ways letter writing is used in our daily lives (birthday cards, invitations, emails, text messages, friendly
letters, postcards, diaries, etc.). We have learned that writers have a purpose when they write a letter and that
the purpose is different depending on the type of letter being written. The children are writing all different
kinds of letters, exchanging them with one another and getting others ready for the post office. It has been lots
of fun!
Our latest thematic unit focuses on penguins; the different species, where they live, their habitats,
predators and eating habits. Did you know that there are 17 different species of penguins in the world? As a
class, we are studying the Emperor Penguin. Each student is studying one of the other 16 penguins. The students’ research is due on Monday, January 25th. Thanks to all families for your help with this project. If you
have any questions or concerns, at any time, please do not hesitate to email me at [email protected].
Mrs. Thompson 3rd Grade
I’d like to give a big warm THANK YOU to the people of the local Grange. Several Grange members came
into the school on Wednesday to donate a new dictionary to every third grader. Each year the third graders are
the fortunate recipients of a Student Dictionary thanks to the generous support of the Grange. The students are
filled with fascination as they learn many new and exciting facts found at the back of their dictionary.
One can hear a buzz coming from our wing, as all the third graders are very busy working in many areas.
For example, we are working hard learning our basic multiplication facts. Our current unit provides lessons
for the students to further develop their number sense regarding place value, understanding large numbers and
decimals. Please watch for Home- link worksheets to help support your child learn these concepts.
Our current writing unit includes lessons to teach the children how to craft a piece about a ‘Small Moment.”
We have practiced, narrowing in on the important part, writing strong leads and using a technique we call
“Show, don’t tell”. . In addition to the small moment piece, the children developed a response to the prompt
question,
“Would you like to live in Colonial Times?”. This piece allowed the children an opportunity to share the facts
they recalled from learning about Colonial America and how they felt about the life of children back then.
We’re nearly finished with the book, The Family Under the Bridge by Natalie Savage Carlson. The children have enjoyed making inferences about a kind hobo and a homeless family living in Paris.
I am looking forward to our next read-aloud book, on of my favorites. It’s the
The Secret Garden by Burnett Frances Hodgson. During this very important part of Readers’ Workshop the
students will have opportunity to discuss inferences they make involving the character, the story plot and the
author’s purpose. This particular piece is wonderful to think about and discuss character traits and moral issues. The students will enjoy learning about the main character’s personality and how her personality traits
change as the story unfolds.
Our focus in Readers Workshop has been making inferences. Please ask your child to share their thinking,
or share what inferences he/she has made while reading. Soon we will be focusing on reading non-fiction and
determining importance.
In Social Studies we are reading about different communities and practicing reading maps. The students
really enjoy putting it all together as they make sense of their world.
Lastly, we will be starting a science unit, System in the Sky. In this unit the students will learn about the
phases of the moon, both solar and lunar eclipses, why we have day and night and how the Earth’s revolution
causes seasons. There is always great interest in this unit as many solar system happenings are understood.
As always, thank you for your constant support and keep reading!
News from Classroom Specials
Mrs. Boudreau Art News
This year our artist in residence is Andrew Periale, he is a puppeteer. All students will get a chance to
work with the artist. The Fifth grader will be the core group that will meet with the artist several times, creat-
ing a puppet show with puppets/characters that they have created.
I am looking for donations of scraps of material, yarn, newspapers and two liter soda bottles or juice
containers. These will help with the construction of the fifth graders puppets. I am also looking for volunteers
that would be willing to work with the students when the artist is here in March. Any help is greatly appreciated.
I am looking forward to working with the students and the artist, and very excited to see their work.
On March 26th there will be final performance. It will be fun for the whole family; I hope everyone saves the
date. If there are any questions feel free to contact me. [email protected]
Ms. Coleman Music Notes
Although this isn’t my week for an article, I couldn’t wait to tell you about an exciting project that all of the
second graders have been working on. In collaboration with Mrs. Boudreau (Art), the students have been creating artwork to be submitted as entries in the “Drawn to the Music” contest.
This competition is sponsored by the New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra in Manchester. Each year they
invite students from across the state to draw to a particular piece of music which they will perform in the
spring. This year the piece is Knoxville: The Summer of 1915 by the American composer, Samuel Barber
(1910 – 1981). He wrote this piece for orchestra and soprano, using the poem by the same name by American
author/poet James Agee (1909-1955) as the lyrics.
Mrs. Boudreau and I enjoyed ‘team-teaching’ the lessons of this project together. We read and explained the
poem to the students and listened to the soprano sing it with the orchestra. We then had the students choose
one ‘scene’ from the music that they wanted to illustrate. They first sketched their pictures with pencils, traced
them with Sharpies and then painted them with watercolors.
Now here’s the exciting part! The Philharmonic holds a contest each year to choose students’ artwork that
will be displayed at their spring concert. If your child’s artwork is chosen, it will be projected on a twenty foot
screen during the playing and singing of Knoxville: The Summer of 1915. Of course they will be contacting
you for permission to use your child’s artwork. In addition, each student who is chosen will receive one free
ticket to the concert which will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 14, 2010, at the Palace Theater in
Manchester.
Epping Elementary School participated in this contest last year and had more than half of the winners chosen
from our entries. Many of the students and their parents had a grand time attending the concert with Mrs.
Boudreau and myself.
Entries will be submitted this week and then we’ll be anxiously waiting to hear from the Philharmonic. As
soon as we hear anything, we will let you know.
Wish us luck!!
EES & Community News
Relay for Life American Cancer Society
June 26th at 2pm
24 hour event sponsored by the American Cancer Society
Held at Epping High School
Form a team today!
$10 Registration fee per team member
Raise $100 and get a free t-shirt
For more information go to www.relayforlife.org/exeternh
This is not a school sponsored event
Harvey Mitchell Memorial Library
On Saturday, January 23rd Lori Hardacker of Dance Parties and Fitness in Motion in Rye returns to lead a fun
and active program she calls “Moving the Story off the Pages” for children ages 3 to 8. This will be a great
way to wiggle away some of the energy that tends to build up during cold weather. This free program will begin at 11:00 and is part of the Toy Play Day series that falls on the 4th Saturday of every month.
Dessert and a Movie for Adults is back! On the 4th Thursday of most months we will show a movie recently
released to DVD. The 9 foot screen and stereo surround sound system turns the children’s room into a comfortable theater, and since the library closes for regular business at 8:00 pm, the volume level is at the discretion of the people attending. On January 28th we will be featuring Golden Globe winner “Julie and Julia” with
Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. This film is rated PG-13. In February, we invite all Quentin Terantino action
movie fans to watch “Inglorious Bastards” on February 25th. Bring a dessert to share and a camp chair, just in
case the comfy chairs in the library get filled up.
Coming up February 12th is Hearts and Hugs Pajama Night starting at 6:30 for kids ages 3-8 and their families.
For more information about any library programs please call 679-5944.
Epping Elementary School
Student of the Week
Week of January 18th18th-22nd, 2010
Grade 1
Grade 2
Mrs. BilodeauBilodeau-Luke Rossel
Mrs. BlissBliss-Noah White
Mrs. DaroisDarois-Cody DeLorge
Ms. CraneCrane-Faith Williamson
Mrs. MahalarisMahalaris-Sean Thornton
Mrs. DemersDemers-Alex Menns
Mrs. PatteePattee-Amara Stevens
Mrs. RosselRossel-Evan Altbergs
Grade 3
Grade 4
Mrs. ButtButt-Ryan Donovan
Mrs. DawsonDawson-Emma Coolidge
Mrs. CarterCarter-Rachel Martin
Ms. FreyenhagenFreyenhagen-Keelin Berger
Mrs. DodgeDodge-Jenna Lavoie
Mrs. HarrisHarris-Caleb West
Mrs. ThompsonThompson-Mya Davidson
Grade 5
Mrs. BakerBaker-Felicia Scully
Mrs. FeldFeld-Taylor Limoli
Mrs. TrueTrue-Allison Grover
Mrs. YoungYoung-Anna Murphy