School Newsletter Winter 2015

News from Burr
School NewsleƩer
Winter 2015
DearBurrCommunity,
Eventhoughspringisjustaroundthecorner,IwantedtotakeamomenttowelcomeyoutoBurr’sWinterSchoolNewsletter.Ihaveanumberofimportant
piecesofinformationIwanttoshare.

CMTandSBAC–FifthgradestudentswillbetakingtheScienceCMTson
Wednesday,March10th.Studentsshouldgetagoodnight’ssleepandeata
healthybreakfast.SBAC(whichstandsfortheSmarterBalancedAssessment
Consortium)willbeginonMarch17th.ThethirdgradewindowisMarch1727,thefourthgradewindowisMarch30–April10,andthe ifthgradewindowisApril21-30.Ourwebsiteincludesaletterfromthedistrictabout
SBACs.IwouldalsoencourageyoutoreadmoreabouttheSBACassessment
usingthefollowinglinkfromCT’sStateDepartmentofEducation.http://
www.sde.ct.gov/sde/cwp/view.asp?a=2748&Q=334488

Fair ieldhasadoptedanewonlinereportingsystemcalledTIPSthatis
scheduledtogoliveonMarch16,2015.Thepurposeofthissystemisto
maintainandimproveourschoolclimatebyallowingstudents,staff,and
parentstomakeanonymousbullyingormisconductreports.Eachreportis
senttoMr.Henkel,Mrs.Montgomeryandmetoinvestigate.Therewillbea
LivebuttononboththedistrictandschoolwebsitesbyMarch16th.Please
lookforadditionalinformationintheweeksahead.

Burr(alongwitheveryschoolinthedistrict’s)schoolclimatereportiscurrentlyavailableforyoutoreadonboththedistrictandBurr’swebsite.The
resultsareinteresting,andIwouldhighlyencourageallparentstoreadit.We
willbeusingtheinformationtoactionplanournextstepsasaschoolcommunity.OnMarch12th,Iaminvitinganyinterestedparentstoaprincipal’scoffee
from9:30-10:30intheLMC.Thiswouldbeagreatopportunityforyoutogive
yourinputandhelpusestablishsomenextstepsaswecontinuetoevolveour
schoolclimatework.

Recently,wehadourCARESSchoolAssemblyonthetopicofresponsibility.As
afollowuptothisassembly,wearecommittingtoaschoolwidebeauti ication
dayatBurrwherestudentsandstaffwillworktogethertotakeresponsibility
formakingtheinsideofthebuildingmorephysicallybeautiful.ThiswillhappenalldayonFriday,March13th.Individualclasseswillsignuptotakecareof
adifferentpartofthebuildingonthatday.Additionally,studentswilltakeresponsibilityfortheirclassroomonthatday.Moreinformationwillfollowas
wegetclosertothe13thaswellaspicturesafterthisgreatteambuildingactivity.
Asalways,thankyouforyourgeneroussupportandgoodcheer.
Warmly,
Jason
Jason
NewsfromPre‐Kindergarten
Mrs.TotiloSmith
Pre-KhasbeenmakingthemostoftheWinter!WespentthemonthofJanuary
talkingaboutwhatweknowaboutWinterandaskingquestionsaboutWhatwe
wanttoknowaboutWinter.Wetouchedsnowandwatcheditchangewhenwe
broughtitinsidetheclassroom.Thiswasawonderfulwaytobecomelikescientistsandanswerstudent-generatedquestions:Wheredoessnowcome
from?Whathappenswhensnowmelts?Inadditiontothis,Pre-KstudentsengagedinaSharedWritingexperience,wherewegeneratedquestions,such
as:Whatanimalsliveinthesnow?Whatanimalsstayactiveinthewintervs.
whatanimalssleep/hibernate?Inansweringthesequestions,studentsmoved
likemanyactivewinteranimals.Studentsalsochosetostudywhatbearsdoduringthewinterandduringtherestoftheyear.Wereadbigbooksaboutbearsand
movedlikebearsdowhentheyarewalking,sitting,jumping,swimmingand
standing.DuringtheremainderofWinter,wewillliventhingsupwithaunit
studyonBuildings.Wewillexploreourownschoolbuilding,noticingshapes,
windows,doors,etc.;wewillread&talkaboutallkindsofhousesandbuildingsin
ourcommunity;wewilllearnaboutpeoplewhoworkonallpartsofbuildings
(e.g.carpenters,plumbers,electricians,etc.).Ourclassroomcenterswillinclude
avarietyofchild-centeredtoolsandmaterialsthataresimilartothoseusedby
peoplewhoworkonallpartsofbuildings.ItisanexcitingtimetostopbyandvisitPre-Kaswehopetoseesignsofspringverysoon!
NewsfromKindergarten
Mrs.Schallau,,Mrs.Thompson(Mrs.Alderucci),andMrs.Vigeant
The100thDayofKindergartenhascomeandgone.Wemarvel
atallthechildrenhavelearnedandhowtheyhavegrownas
writers,readers,mathematicians,andmembersofourclassroomcommunity.Theyhavewrittennon- ictionbooksusing
informationtheyknowtoteachusabouttheirfavoritetopics.
Theyhavetaughtushowtodothings.Theyhavereadnonictionbookstolearnmorefacts.Theyhaveaddedtermssuch
asnon- iction,tableofcontents,facts,anddiagramstotheir
vocabulary.Theycontinuetoexpandtheirunderstandingof
numbersense.Mostimportantly,theyaredevelopingfriendshipsanddemonstratingkindnessandcaringforeachother.
Soifyou indyourchildnegotiatingforalaterbedtimeortryingtoconvinceyou
thatchocolateisagoodbreakfastyoucanblameournewunitonpersuasivewriting.Childrenarelearningtomakeastatementofsomethingtheyfeelstrongly
aboutandgivereasonswhytheyfeelthatway.Youcanhelpyourchildathomeby
havingdiscussionsthatrequireopinionsandreasonswhy.Whatisabetterice
creamstore?DairyQueenorBaskin-Robbins?WHY?Thanksforyoursupportin
developingtheirlanguageandthinkingskills.
Inreadingchildrenhavelearnednewprintstrategiesto igureouttrickywords
andthenaskthemselvestheallimportantquestions:Doesthismakesense?
Whatisthisabout?Childrenarelearningtomonitortheirreadingtomakesure
theyunderstandwhattheyread.
Inmathwehaveworkedwithformingteennumbers,buildingthebaseofplace
value.Childrenwilllearnadditionandsubtractionwithin ive.Youcanhelpyour
childrenathomebycontinuingtoplaygamesthatrequirecounting,adding,
choosingthehighernumber,etc.Theproblemoftheweekisanopportunityto
haveyourchildrenexplaintheirthinkingtoyou.Encouragethemtoseeifthey
can indotherwaytosolvetheproblem.Howmanywayscanyoudemonstrate?
Wethankyouforyourcontinuedsupportinreadingandwritingsightwordsand
practicingcorrectalphabetandnumberformation.
NewsfromFirstGrade
Ms.Kurimai,Mrs.Musante,Mrs.Root,Ms.Sherwood
Hip,hiphoorayforthe100thday!Congratulations irstgraders,you’re100days
smarter!Weknowthattheremainderoftheschoolyearwillbe illedwithtonsof
learning,fun,andwarmerdays!WehavebeenworkingveryhardintheLMC.We
havebeenresearchingpenguinsforourPenguinWebquestproject.Studentsanswerquestionsandresearchfactsusingtheinternet.Nextinscience,wewillbe
studyingthebutter lylifecycleandcontinuingwithourbirdadaptationsunit.We
willhaveanupcomingCANEpresentationonadaptations,aswellasa ieldtripto
theBirdcraftMuseum.
Duringreading,childrencontinuetoworkonwordsolvingstrategies(pictures,
beginningsounds,endingsounds,lookingthroughtheword,patterns,rhyming
words).Childrenshouldaskthemselvesifwhattheyarereadingmakessense.
Pleasecontinuetoreadtoandwithyourchildeachnight.Talkaboutbooksand
haveconversationsaboutthesetting,charactersandevents.Remembertohave
yourchildretellthestoryafterreading.Thiswillhelptoensurehis/herreading
success.Buildingexpressionand luencyisanimportantpartofreading.Youcan
practiceathome,byhavingyourchildreadfamiliarbookssmoothlywithexpression“talkingvoices”.Payattentiontothosepunctuationmarkskids!
Inwritingworkshop,wehavebeenlearninghowtowriteopinionpiecesandreviews.Studentsarewritingtoconvincethereaderoftheiropinionandgivinglots
ofreasonstosupporttheirstatement.Wecontinuetoworkoneditingskillsand
revisingwritingpieces.Pleasepracticespellingwordsaswellaseditingskillsso
ourchildrencantransferthisknowledgewhentheywrite.
Reviewingadditionandsubtractionfacts,storyproblems,countingandidentifyingnumberswillstrengthenyourchild’smathskills.Pleasepracticeafewtimesa
week.ChecktheBurrhomepageforlinkstofunandinteractivemathsites!
NewsfromSecondGrade
Mrs.Cinquegrana,Mrs.Miles,Mrs.Uliasz
Secondgrade’sworkinghardthroughoutthesesnowydays!Inmath,we’reworkingonaddingandsubtractingdoubledigitnumbers.We’reshowingourthinking
usingvariousstrategiessuchasnumberlines,numberbonds,decomposingnumbers,andcompensation.Keeponpracticingtheadditionandsubtractionfactsto
build luency!Inreading,we’re inishingaunitonsummarywritingandare
headingintoournextuniton luency,inwhichstudentswillpracticetheirexpressionthroughReaders’Theater.Inwriting,we’rewellintoouropinionwriting
unit.We’rewritingaboutfavoritecharactersandbooksinletterstopenpalsin
Southbury,Connecticut.We’llalsobesharingouropinionsonthingsthatmatter
tosecondgraders.IntheLMC,we’vebegunourConnecticutWebquestunitand
arelearningallaboutourstate.Ourcurriculumhasbeenenrichedbyavisitfrom
aHighTouchHighTechscientistwhotaughtusaboutmatter.Thankyoutoour
PTAforfundingourhands-onexperience.Wealsoappreciatetheparentswho
presentedourwinterthemedstorytelling.InMarchwe’lllookforwardtoa
ieldtriptoseeRapunzelattheCabaretTheaterandanoutreachprojecttoraise
moneyforGuidingEyesfortheBlind.Thankstoparentsforhelpingintegrate
technologyintoourhomeworkbybloggingduringReadingCelebrationweek.We
lookforwardtoournewunitsandthepromiseofspring!
NewsfromThirdGrade
Mr.Jasgur,Mrs.Noonan,Ms.Taylor
Thirdgradershavebeenverybusythisyearandhavebeenworkinghardevery
day.Currently,studentsareworkingonsummarizingdifferentgenresoftextin
reading.Studentsareworkingtoidentifykeypartsofastorytoincludeintheir
summary.Studentshavebeenstudyingpersuasivewritingstrategiesandhave
beenpracticingtheseskillsthroughavarietyofpersuasivewritingstyles,includingpetitions,speeches,andletters.Inmathematics,theyareworkingwith
measurement,includingtimeandelapsedtime.area,andperimeter,aswellas
continuingtopracticemultiplicationanddivision.Insocialstudies,studentsare
workingontheirunitaboutAsia.Wehavetakenan“airplaneride”toAsiato
beginourresearch!Theywillcreateguidingquestions,continuetheirresearch,
synthesizetheirinformation,andcreateanonlineGlog(graphicblog!)toconvince
othersthattheirmarketplaceisneededinthe“Fair ieldGlobalCommunityMarketplace.”
Aswecontinuethroughthenextfewmonths,thirdgraderswillbelearningabout
poetryandworkinginpartnershipseffectively.Theywillre inetheiropinion
writingskillsandbeginaunitonfairytalesinwriter’sworkshop.Inmath,studentswillcontinuetoworkwithmeasurementbeforemovingontogeometry.
Afterthissocialstudiesunit,wewillbeginstudyingAfricaasourlastunit.This
willculminatewithourAfricaFairinthespring.Wehavealotoflearningtogo
thisyear!
Thebestwaytosupportyourchildathomeistomakesurethey indtimetoread
andpracticetheirmathfactsconsistently.Anykeyboardingpracticewillalsobene ityourchild.Also,thelinksontheBurrwebsiteareagreatutilityforreinforcement,extrapractice,orenrichment.PleasecheckMr.Bluestein’sfrequentnewslettersforimportantinformation.Thankyouforyoursupportaswecontinueour
learning!
NewsfromFourthGrade
Mrs.deRegt,Ms.Passero,Mrs.Sadick
Whatawinterithasbeen!Wecan’tbelievewe’vealreadybeeninschoolformore
than100days!Fourthgradehashadalotofexcitementinsocialstudiesandsciencelately.Asyouknow,werecently inishedourExplorersunitofstudy–we
hopeyouenjoyedthepresentations!Wearenowinthemidstofourstudyof
ForcesandMotioninScienceandColonialLifeinSocialStudies.Thestudentshad
ablastlearningaboutsimplemachineswithallofthehands-onscienceexperimentsduringtheHigh-Touch,High-Techprogram.Wealsotookatripbackin
timeduringourvisittotheOgdenHousetostudywhatlifewaslikeduringthe
1700s.Afterlearningaboutallthechorescolonialchildrenwereresponsiblefor,
yourchildrencertainlyhaveamuchgreaterappreciationforalltheyhave!During
therestofourcolonialstudy,yourchildrenaretakingonacolonialtradeandare
workingcollaborativelywithotherfourthgraderstoeffectivelyportraytheir
tradeofthattimeperiod.
Inwriting,studentshavebecomeessayistsandlearnedhowtowritepersuasive
essaysbytakingaclaimandsupportingtheiropinionswithevidence.Nowthey
areextendingtheirlearningfromthepreviousunit,andareworkingonwriting
literaryessaysbymakingaclaimonatext,andsupportingtheirclaimwithtext
evidence.Inreading,studentshavebeeninferringtogainadeeperunderstanding
oftextandidentifythethemeofwhatthey’rereading,andwillnowlearntosummarize ictionandnon ictiontext.Theyreallyenjoyedreadingcelebrationweek,
andwillcontinuetoreadaboutIvantheGorillaandstrivetobeafriend,and
changealife.
Asmathematicians,studentshavebeenlearninghowtoadd,subtractandmultiplyfractions,andwillsoonmoveintocomparingandadding/subtractingdecimals.ThefollowingunitofstudywillbeGeometryandMeasurement/Angles.As
always,pleasehaveyourchildrencontinuetopracticetheirmathfactsdaily.In
ordertomeetexpectationsontheMarchprogressreport,studentsshouldbeable
tocompletebetween18-27problemsinoneminute,sokeeppracticing!
Inothernews,theSBACwindowisprojectedtobethelastweekofMarchand
irstweekofApril.Youcanhelpyourchildprepareathomebyhavingthempracticetheirtypingskills,aswellashelpthemlearnhowtonavigateacomputer.
Thankyouforyourcontinuedsupportathome,andwelookforwardtomany
moreexcitingthingsthisspring!
NewsfromFifthGrade
Mrs.Beno,Mrs.Chandler,Mrs.Phillips
Time lieswhenyou’rehavingfun!5thgrade
hasstartedoff2015withsomeexcitinghappenings.Duringthe irstweekofJanuary,studentstooka ieldtriptoStrat ieldElementary
toseetheplay,“MartinLutherKing:Amazing
Grace”.Throughmusicandstorytelling,studentslearnedaboutsegregationandtheCivilRightsMovement.Whileonthetopicofsocialstudies, ifthgradecelebratedtheirCivilWarprojectsbypresenting
themintheLMCtoparents.Studentsshowcasedtopicsstudiedfordifferent
eventsthattookplaceduringtheCivilWar.StudentscreatedAnimoto
slideshows,PowerPoints,Glogsters,andPhotostorypresentations.Wewereexcitedtoseetheamountofknowledgethestudentsgainedthroughoutthisinvestigativeprocess.WethenmovedontoImmigrationandlearnedalltheinteresting
factsaboutEllisIslandandtheeffortsimmigrantstooktocometoAmerica.
Studentsrecentlywrappedupthehistorical ictionreadingunit.Theyhadtheopportunitytoselectabookandtorespondtohigher-levelthinkingquestions,allowingthemtolookbackintothebooktodefendtheirthinking.Theywereable
todiscusshowhistorical ictionallowsustobetterunderstandtheworld.In
reading,wethenmovedintopartnerships,whichwillencouragestudentstodiscussbooksandtohaverichconversationaboutbookssuchasLettersfromRi ka.
Writinghasbeenfulloflearningexperiencesandthinking.Werecentlywrapped
upourOpinion/Argumentessaysandstudentshavebeensuccessfulinusing
strategiessuchasresearch(usingfactsandevidencetosupporttheirclaim),opinion,counterclaims/rebuttals,andorganization.Wearejustbeginningournext
unitonmemoir.
Ourcurrentunitofmathisfractions.Weareintheinthebeginningphasesofthis
unitandstudentshaveworkedtogetheringroupstoreviewandinvestigateproblems.Throughgroupworkandclassdiscussions,studentswillbegintoseefractionsinawholenewway!Soon,wewillbehavingtheScienceCMTsfollowedby
thestudyofMillRiver.
WhenwecelebratedReadingCelebrationWeek,ourstudentstrulylovedit!We
talkedabouttheimportanceofshowingkindnessandhowfriendship,nomatter
howunlikely,canchangealife.Welearnedthesevaluablelessonsfromthebook,
TheOneandOnlyIvan.Weillustratedtheselessonsbycreatingaschool-wideact
ofkindnesslink,infographicsandAnimotos.Rememberourmotto:"BeaFriend,
ChangeaLife!"
Weencourageyoutohaveconversationswithyourchildaboutallthethingswe
arelearninginclass.Askingquestionsandlisteningtoyourchildwillnotonly
helpthemthinkdeeplyaboutthatsubject,butitwillgivethemcon idencebackin
theclassroom.Inaddition,talkingwithyourchildabouttheirhomeworkwillgive
youinsighttowhatishappeninginclassacademically.CARESisabigpartofour
schoolandstudentshavebeeninvolvedinhelpingoutaroundtheschool.We
haveaskedstudentstothinkaboutwaystoshowCARESnotonlyintheclassroom
butathomeaswell.Wecontinuetoworkonleadershipskillsandbeingpositive
rolemodelsforourschool.
PEHappenings
Mr.Hilinski
MarchisanexcitingmonthinPhysicalEducationclass.Thismonthclasseswill
participateinourBodyManagementUnit,whichincludes:climbingropes,swing
ropes,cargonet,gymnastics,vaulting,andbalancebeam.Studentswillhavethe
opportunitytochallengethemselvesbothphysicallyandmentally.Thisunitwill
pushtheirmuscularstrengthaswellendurance.It’simportanthowever,forstudentstorealizeclimbingisonlyasmallpartofthisunitandthatstudentsareonly
requiredtoclimbashighastheyarecomfortable.Somesafetyreminders:
pleasemakesureyourchildiswearingcomfortableclotheswithsneak‐
ers.Nolongearrings,jewelry,climbinggloves,orbaggyclothesasthese
couldgethungupontheropes.
Lookingtowardthespringstudentswillbeparticipatinginactivitiessuchasracketgames,soccer,frisbee,speedstacking,and,ofcourse, ielddaygames,justto
nameafew.Ourprimaryfocuswithalloftheseunitsofinstructionishand-eye
coordination,motordevelopment,toincreasemuscularstrengthandendurance,
and,ofcourse,teamworkandcooperation.Withcooperation,weplaceabigfocus
onhowtowinaswellashowtolose.Intoday’sworldchildrenneedtounderstandthatwitheverygametheywillnotwinor“tie”.Wetalkabouthowlosing
canhelpbuildtheircharacterandmakethemstriveforimprovement.
SNEAKERS!Iknowournewrotatingschedulecanbeconfusingattimes,but
pleasecontinuetohelpyourchildcomeupwithastrategysotheycanremember
whatletterdayitis.Beingpreparedispartoftheirresponsible,socialandsafety
grade.MynumberoneconsiderationwithallactivitiesinPEclassischildsafety.
Also,Iammakingitabigpartofoureverydayclasstohelpstudentslearntotie
theirownsneakers.Ialwaystellthemthebestwaytogetbetteratanythingisto
practice,practice,practice.Pleasehelpthemmasterthisskillbypracticingat
home.
ArtRoomHappenings
Mrs.Yessenow
Artthiswinterhashadsomenewexcitingprojects!Askyourchildrentotellyouwhatthey
learnedwhentheybringhomeapieceofart
work.Someassignmentsyouwillhavetowaitto
seeatourannualArtShow.
TheKindergartenhasbeenlearninghowtotear
paperinsteadofcuttingtomakesnowmen.We’ve
alsobeenlearningsomesimpleJapaneseOrigami.
1stgradersaremakingscratch-paperpenguins
withrepeatingpatternsonthem.Theyarealsousingcoloredcellophanetolearn
aboutprimarycolorsandhowtheymixtomakethesecondarycolors.2ndgrade
studentshavebeencreating3-dimensionalpolarbearswithModelMagicclay!
Theyalsomadesomecoolandwarmwatercolorweavingsaswell.Our3rdgraders
paintedsomebeautifulfalllandscapesandnowaremasteringtheartofsandpainting.4thgradershavebeencreatingPanamanianstyleMolasusingfoam
sheetstocreatethecontourlineeffect.Theyalsohadfuncreatingabstractart
drawingsinavarietyofstyles.5thgradestudentsdesignedtrophiesinperspective
toawardthemselves.Theyhadtobeforsomethingthatwasn’tasport!Theyare
nowusingthecomputertocreateaCivilWareraphotoofthemselvesthatthey
willframeinafoilreliefantiqueframe.Whenyoustopbytheschool,checkout
theshowcaseforour3-Dprojects.
Youcanhelpyourchildgetridofthosecoldweatherbluesbyprovidinglotsofart
materialsandrecyclematerials.GoontoPinterestandlookupkidsartprojects
forideas.Youwillbeamazedatwhattheycancreate!
NoticiasdelaClasedeEspañol!
NewsfromSpanishclass!
Mrs.Sugrue
Grade4studentshavebeenverybusyusingnewvocabularyandlanguagestructuresinclasstotalkabouttheirfavoritecolors,daysoftheweek,thedate,and
birthdates.Theyhavealsolearnedhowtotalkabouttheweatherandareableto
describeitinthevariousmonthsoftheyear.Inourcurrentunitentitled,Spanish
Explorers,studentswillbelearningaboutthetravelsofthreeexplorers,thenames
ofthecontinentsinSpanish,andtheywillbecomefamiliarwiththelocationof
someoftheSpanishspeakingcountries.Thisunitwillallowforaninterdisciplinaryconnectionwithgeographyandsocialstudies.
Grade5studentsrecently inishedaunitofstudyentitledADayinMadridand
haveacquiredthenecessaryvocabularyandlanguagestructurestotalkabout
wheretheyaregoing,howtheyaregettingthere,andwhattheyarelookingfor.
EachstudenthascreatedacalendarplanforanimaginarytripfromFair ieldto
Madrid.Toconcludethisunit,studentswillbelearninghowtotalkaboutwhere
otherpeoplearegoing,andtheywillbecomereportersabouttripstheirclassmateshaveplanned!
Inournextunit,PastimesandHobbies,studentswilllearnhowtotalkabouttheir
hobbiesandwhattheyliketodoathomeandatschool.Theywillalsobelearning
aboutfamousHispanicswhohavemadecontributionstovarious ields,including
thearts,science,andsports.Afunwaytoreinforcewhatwearelearninginclass
istoaskyourchildtoteachyousomeSpanishexpressionsandvocabulary.Sharingisanexcitingvehicleforpracticingwhathasbeenlearnedinclass!
NewsfromMusic
Mrs.Maravich
BurrSchoolhascertainlybeenalivewiththesoundsofmusic…Fromfolk
songs,tospirituals,tothe4thgradesadvancingtheirrecorderskills,andthe
Fifthgradeadvancingtheirsingingandharmonizingskills.
TheFifthGradeChorusperformedtheirWinterConcertonthe29thofthis
Januaryafterabitofachallengebroughtonbyour“lovely”andunpredictable
winterweather.(YourchildrenallknowthatMs.Maravichhatessnowandcan’t
waittotakeoutherbeachchair!!)Onceagain,Iwanttothankallofour ifth
gradeparentsfortheirpatiencewithourconcertschedulingandre-scheduling.
WewereallhappythatthechildrencouldperformtheirconcertinJanuaryasintended.Iwasveryproudoftheiraccomplishmentandespeciallysogivenourlimitedinstructionaltimetogether.Wearefortunatethough,hereatBURRthatour
5thgradeteamandMr.Bluesteinaresuchgreatsupportersofourmusicprogram!
Teamworkisveryimportantforallofustolearnandourschoolembracesit
100%.Itiswonderfultowatchtheself-con idence,eartraining,andpoisethat
the ifthgradestudentsaredevelopingthroughtheirvocalperformanceexperience.Ican’twaittoseewhatourSpringConcertwillbring!!!Theyareveryexcitedbytheprospectofaspecialvocalensemblegroupbeingorganized,aswasin
thepasthereatBurr.Iwillbeintouchregardingtheschedulingofthisadvanced
choralexperience.
OurFourthGradersarebeginningtowritetheir irstrecordertunesinsoloand
responseformwhichwillbeanexcitinganinteractiveaccomplishmentwhenthey
inish.TheThirdGradersareexploringwriting,readingandplayingfourbeat
rhythmsalongwithlotsforsinging.Theyarenowbeginningtheirliteracyskills
beforetheirexcitingtimeofbeginningrecorderplayinginApril.TheSecond
gradersareexploringtheartofstorytellingthroughsong(balladsandfolktunes)
andusingdrawingandarttoshowthesequenceoftheversesinsong.OurKin‐
dergartenandFirstgradersarealladvancingintheirsteadybeatcompetency,
movingwithmusic,andexploringspacethroughmusic.Thereisalotofsinging,
musicwritingandmovementthattakesplacehereatBurrandthemusicroomis
alwaysafunplacetobe!!
OrchestraNotes
Mrs.Eckhardt
BoththeFourthGradeandtheFifthGradeOrchestrashadsuccessfulperformances.Thebeginnersconcentratedon13folksongsincludingmelodies,rounds,and
harmoniesprovidedbyseveral ifthgradeassistants.The inalpiecewasMyFirst
Solo,aterri icmelodythattheyallenjoyed.The ifthgradersperformedfour
pieces,theBeast,CelticDance,CanoninD,andPachelbel’sCanoninD.Thesefeaturedvariousgenresandstylesofmusicrequiringthemtolearnnotes,rhythms,
bowings,anddynamics.InMarch,the ifthgraderswillbeparticipatingintheOrchestraFestivalinwhich500+stringstudentsinthedistrictwillbeperforming.TheywillbeplayingGaelicCastleandNewRiverTrainbythemselvesandFi‐
nalefromGuilliameTellOverture,otherwiseknownasTheWilliamTellOverture,
withthemiddleandhighschoolstringstudents.Presently,thefourthgradersare
learningfourpiecesofmusicthatwillfeaturethemwiththe ifthgradersinthe
springconcert.VERYexciting!!!
NewsfromMath/Science
Mrs.Sherman
HelloBurrfamilies!LastnewsletterwediscussedtheOpenNumberLine.Hopefullyyouhavehadanopportunitytouseitwithyourchildathome.Remember,
theOpenNumberLineisavisualrepresentationforrecordingandsharingstudents’strategiestosolveproblemswhileencouragingmentalcomputation.
Thismonthwe’llfocusonanotherrepresentationformodelingstrategies:thearrayandopenarray.Anarrayisarectangulararrangementofasetofobjectsor
numbersofteninrowsorcolumnsusedtoexpressmultiplication
anddivisionsituations.Realworldexamplesofarraysareusedto
helpintroducetheseconcepts.Examplesofarraysarefoundin
everydaylifesuchasaboxofchocolates,acrateoforanges,and
rowsofchairsinanauditorium.Thirdgradestudentsareintroducedtoarraysatthestartoftheirmultiplicationunit.Astheyear
progresses,theymightutilizetheopenarraytosolveincreasingly
complexproblems.Fourthand ifthgradersutilizetheopenarray
withlargernumbersaswellasmixednumbersanddecimals.
Anopenarray,liketheopennumberline,isamodelformultiplicationanddivision.Unliketheclosedarray,theopenarraydoesnotexplicitlyshoweachobject
intheroworcolumnbutisapictorialrepresentationoflargernumbers.Itlends
itselftomodelingthepartialproductstrategyandthedistributivepropertyof
multiplication.
Considertheproblem27x8.Anopenarraycanbeusedtodecomposethe27into
more“friendly”numbers;20and7.Theproblem
wouldthenlooklikethis:
Studentswouldthenbeabletomultiply8x20=
160and8x7=56.Oncetheyaddthosetwopartialproductstogether,they indthesolutiontothe
originalproblem;216.
Anotherwaytorepresentthisnumericallywould
be:
27x8=(20x8)+(7x8).Thusthedistributive
propertyofmultiplicationoveradditionisintroduced!
Interestedinlearningmore?CheckouttheFair ieldPublicSchoolsparentmath
websiteforavideoontheopenarray,utilizingpartialproducts.Inadditionto
that,you’ll indhelpfulinformationaboutothermodelsandtoolsthatareusedin
theclassroom,aguidetoourcurriculum,usefultipsforwaysyoucanhelpat
home,andlinkstowebsites,appsandamathdictionary.http://
fair ieldpublicschoolsk5math.wikispaces.com/home
Ofcourse,youarealwayswelcometocontactmeatasherman@fair ieldschools.org
NewsfromLanguageArts
Mrs.Felberbaum,Mrs.Henkel,
There’s“snow”bettertimetoread!Withthecold,snowydaysuponusthisyear,
therehavecertainlybeenplentyofopportunitiestocurlupwithagoodbook.We
hopeyouhavetakenadvantageofsomeoftheseopportunitiestoreadwithyour
children.Readingtogetherandtalkingaboutbooksisagreatwaytocontinueto
supportyourchild’sgrowthanddevelopaliterarylife.
AllstudentsatBurrhavebeenverybusydiggingdeeperwith ictionandnonictioninreadingoverthepastfewmonths.Inmanygradelevels,studentsfocusedoninformationalwriting,becomingmini-expertsandteachingotherswith
theirwriting.Opinionwritingisnowoccurringinallgradelevels,sodon’tbesurprisedifyou indyourselfhearingyourchildrensharetheiropinionsathomeusingnewandinterestingtechniques!Poetrywillbeanupcomingunitinmany
gradelevelsthisspring.AprilisNationalPoetryMonth,sotakesometimeto
sharesomewithyourchildren.
ThisFebruary,weexperiencedourannualBurrReadingCelebrationWeek,which
lastedalittlelongerwithsomesnowdaysmixedin!Ourthemethisyearwas“Bea
friend,changealife.”Theoneschool,onebookthatwentwiththethemewasThe
OneandOnlyIvan,achapterbookbyKatherineandApplegate,alongwithheraccompanyingpicturebook,Ivan:TheRemarkableTrueStoryoftheShoppingMall
Gorilla.Studentsexploredunlikelyfriendshipsandsawhowanyone(evenanimals)canmakeadifferenceinanother’slife.Severalbookswererecordedby
membersoftheschoolcommunityandsharedwitheachclass.Specialthanksto
parentsMr.Liu,Mr.SweetlandandMr.Crawford,aswellasourownMr.Bluestein
andMr.Henkel,fortakingthetimetoshowcaseyourtalentsandreadsometerri icbooks!
Wewereamazedwiththeoutpouringofstudentworkandcreativityinresponse
tothethemeandbooksshared.Examplesofstudentworkincludedwriting,illustrations,infographics,songs,Animotoandvideopresentations,allcreatedto
shareideasonfriendship.Abeautiful,colorful,school-widefriendshipchainwas
createdthatincludedsamplesofkindnessandfriendshipfromeachstudent.Each
classchainwaslinkedtotheotherclasschainsattheassemblytouniteusallin
friendship.Whatagreatwaytocelebratethepowerofstoriesthatinspireusallto
bebetter!ThankyoutoClareKurlander,PattyBaron,BethPeto,allofourfantasticparentvolunteers,andouramazingBurrstaff,especiallyCaroleMaravich,Kate
McGuinnessandCathySondheim,forhelpingmakeReadingCelebrationWeeka
success!
Wewillsoonbeginthenextroundofschool-widereadingassessments.Theseresultswillbesharedwithyouatyourupcomingconferences.Pleasebesureyour
childreadsathomeeachday.Itissuchanimportantpartofyourchild’sgrowth.
Also,pleasecontinuetoencourageyourchildrentopracticetheirkeyboarding
skillsusingTypingPal.ThereisalinkontheBurrwebsiteundertheVirtualLibrary.
HappyReadingtoall!
PupilServices
Mrs.Gardner,Mrs.Harkins,Mrs.Lawrence,
Mrs.Montgomery,Ms..Raucci,Mrs.Shea,Mrs.Torrani
DiversityDay!
OnFebruary6ththeBurrgymwasonceagainbuzzingwith3rdand5thgraders
challengedtothinkabouttheimportanceofdiversityandinclusion.
DiversityDayactivitiesfollowaclassroomdiscussionontheimportanceofdiversity.Studentsareaskedwhattheworldwouldbelikeifwewereallthesame,
withthesamestrengthsandweaknesses(BORING!);andencouragedtoreachout
beyondtheirimmediatefriendshipcircletoincludestudentsthatmayseemdifferentfromthem.Activitiesinthegymchallengethestudentstoadapttheirsocialinteractionstoincludestudentswithavarietyofsocial,physicaloracademic
differences.
Throughtheseexperiencesweteachthatbene itofincludingeveryonebene its
everyone.HereistheYouTubelinktoourculminatingactivity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ejh_hb15Fc
ItdemonstratestheconceptofDiversityDayandcommunitywearebuildinghere
atBurr.Betchacan'twatchwithoutwellingup!
OutdoorRecess‐ComePlay!
GiantJenga,oversizedcheckers,sidewalkchalk,tonsofLegos,boardgames, loor
puzzlesandjumpropesarenowavailableduringoutdoorrecess.Theseitems
werepurchasedthroughaPTAgrantand/ordonatedbyyou!
Weveryexcitedtoseestudentschoosingthesenewactivitieswithenthusiasm.
Studentswhomaynotwanttojointhemassivefootballgame,shoothoopsorrun,
nowhavealternativesthatallowthemtoengageinsocialplaywhatevertheirinterests.
Weneedyourhelptokeepthisgoing!Doyouhaveanhourtoplay?Tokeepthis
alternativerecessprogramgoingweneedparentvolunteerstofacilitatetheactivities.SuzanneLabellaisthePTAchairforthisprogram.Pleasecontactherifyou
haveanhourtoplayonceaweek,oronceamonthoronetimethisspring.We
needyouandit'[email protected]
theschedule.
EndofNewsletter—Thankyouforreading!