The Globe Charter Oak International Academy

425 Oakwood Avenue, West Hartford, CT 06110 • Telephone: 860-233-8506 • Fax: 860-231-9654

“Together we can and

do make a difference!”

Issue XIII. March 28, 2016 Juan Melián, Principal

Dear COIA Families:

We are fast approaching April Vacation, which will be from April 11th to April 15th, returning to school on

Monday April 18th. The two weeks before the break are filled with wonderful events that include, this coming

Saturday, April 4th, West Hartford’s Cooking, a great evening of food sampling and a silent auction. All the

funds raised at this annual evening event are used to support the grants awarded to teachers in our schools.

Thank you to the Foundation for West Hartford Public Schools for your incredible work. This year, I am

excited to be representing Charter Oak International Academy for the first time as a “Celebrity Chef.” I will be

bringing gazpacho, a well-known cold soup, typical of my native Spain.

Before we get to the fundraiser, we have a great week at school. On Thursday, March 31st, BOE

representatives will attend our PTO meeting to talk about the district budget, which is expected to be adopted

on Tuesday, April 5th. On Friday, April 1st, two significant events will mark the day: the Art Show Opening and

Career Day for 5th graders. The following week, on Thursday April 7th, we will be sending a team of students to

represent Charter Oak at the COLT Rhyme Celebration event. That same day we will have our traditional

Inquiry Gallery, where our students will share both processes and products from their IB units. The Inquiry

Gallery will run from 6:30 to 7:30.

As an IB school, we continue to work on new initiatives for our students for next year. Our new state-of-the-

art school will create outstanding opportunities to take action in our school. The geothermal energy system, the

solar panels, the learning gardens, and the courtyard will provide our students (and all of us) with the chance to

make sustainability one of the pillars and foundations of our IB school. We want our students to understand the

importance of caring for the environment, a critical 21st century topic.

This year, we are already taking the first steps to make sustainability a signature concept and a signature

experience for our students at Charter Oak International Academy. For that purpose, we are forming a team that

will focus on sustainability in the new school. Before the end of this year, parents, staff and students will be

meeting to set the course for taking action next year. Some areas we are already working on are recycling and

composting. As always happens at Charter Oak, our students will be leading the efforts. We, the adults, will

support them. We will strengthen our partnerships with local and state organizations such as Growing Great

Schools, Connecticut Green LEAF Schools, and eesmarts. Working with these organizations will help us to

support healthy nutritional practices, promote eating locally grown food and develop a collaborative vision of

continued growth in sustainable practices and energy conservation.

In this area of sustainability, we are also exploring how to improve the general climate in the building

through mindfulness. This year, we have had two presentations for parents on the topic of mindfulness, and

two of our teachers are piloting mindfulness activities in the classroom. Please stay tuned for more information.

Happy Spring to All!

Juan Melián

Principal

2 THE GLOBE

Queridas Familias:

Nos acercamos rápidamente a las vacaciones de abril, que este año van desde el 11 al 15, regresando a la

escuela el lunes 18. Las dos semanas anteriores a este descanso estarán llenas de actividades maravillosas que

incluyen, este sábado 4 de abril, West Hartford Cookin, una noche perfecta para probar bocados de comida y

participar en una subasta silenciosa. Todos los fondos obtenidos esa noche son usados para apoyar las becas

concedidas a nuestros profesores en todas las escuelas del pueblo. Gracias a la Fundación por el increíble

trabajo que hace en nuestros colegios. Este año tengo una gran ilusión por representar a Charter Oak por

primera vez como cocinero. Para esta ocasión traeré un gazpacho, que es una sopa fría de España, mi país de

origen.

Antes de este evento de captación de fondos tenemos una semana bien movida en nuestra escuela. El jueves 31

de marzo, representantes del BOE acudirán a nuestra reunión del PTO para hablar sobre el presupuesto escolar

del distrito, que se espera va a ser adoptado el martes 5 de abril. El viernes 1 de abril hay dos acontecimientos

que marcarán el día: el Show de Arte y El Día de Profesiones para nuestros estudiantes de quinto grado. La

siguiente semana, el jueves 7 de abril enviaremos una representación de estudiantes a la Celebración de Rimas

de COLT y ese mismo día tendremos nuestra Galería Inquisitiva, donde nuestros estudiantes compartirán con

todos nosotros unidades de estudio de IB, productos finales y proceso. Este año la Galería Inquisitiva será

desde las 6:30 a las 7:30 PM.

Como escuela IB continuamos trabajando en iniciativas nuevas para nuestros estudiantes para el año que

viene. En nuestro moderno edificio crearemos oportunidades fantásticas para que nuestros estudiantes “entren

en acción”. El sistema de energía geotérmica instalado, los paneles solares, los jardines de aprendizaje, el patio

interior nos ofrecerán a todos la ocasión de hacer del desarrollo sostenible uno de los pilares de nuestra

escuela. Queremos que nuestros estudiantes entiendan la importancia del medio ambiente, un tema

fundamental del siglo XXI.

Este año ya estamos dando los primeros pasos para hacer de la sostenibilidad una experiencia destacada para

nuestros estudiantes en Charter Oak. Con ese propósito formaremos un equipo de padres, personal de la

escuela y estudiantes para que estudien el tema. Antes de que este año finalice nos reuniremos para sentar las

bases del año que viene. Ya estamos trabajando en dos áreas destacadas: reciclaje y “composting”. Y como

siempre ocurre en Charter Oak nuestros estudiantes serán los líderes. Nosotros, los adultos, les apoyaremos.

Reforzaremos nuestras alianzas con nuestros socios locales y estatales, tales como Growing Great Schools,

Connecticut Green LEAF Schools y eesmarts cuyo propósito es hacer entender a los jóvenes toda la ciencia

relacionada con energía limpia y renovable y desarrollar una ética entre los estudiantes en todo lo relativo al

uso de energía.

También estamos explorando cómo mejorar el clima general en nuestro edificio a través de “mindfulness”

Este año, ya hemos tenido dos presentaciones para padres sobre este tema, y dos profesores están teniendo una

experiencia piloto a nivel de clase. Manténganse atentos conforme compartimos más información en el futuro.

¡Les deseo una Feliz Primavera a todos!

Juan Melián

Principal

THE GLOBE 3

Charter Oak International Academy

presents

As an International Baccalaureate (IB) World

School, Charter Oak utilizes an inquiry-based

curriculum. Our IB units are transdisciplinary,

encouraging students to investigate concepts of

global significance, while incorporating knowledge

and skills learned in all the traditional subject areas,

including the arts, PE, and Spanish.

The students at Charter Oak have been working

all year on their grade-level IB units. Now, they are

excited to share their learning with our school

community. Students will demonstrate the learning

processes they have used, and products they have

created, for 2-3 of their IB units. Their work and

presentations will exhibit the IB learner profiles,

attitudes, concepts, and approaches to learning being

developed through inquiry. Students will provide

information about each unit, so that you can engage

in a conversation with them about their projects.

Please post the attached “Save the Date” at home;

and we look forward to seeing all of our families at

this exciting, educational evening.

Kirsten Sanderson

IB Coordinator

The Inquiry Gallery

Thursday, April 7

6:30-7:30 p.m.

Figurative language is our study of metaphors,

similes, alliteration, hyperbole and onomatopoeia.

We have a had few lessons on each of these styles of

figurative language.

Keep A Poem In Your Pocket By Beatrice Schenk de Regniers

Keep a poem in your pocket

And a picture in your head

And you'll never feel lonely

At night when you're in bed.

The little poem will sing to you

The little picture bring to you

A dozen dreams to dance to you

At night when you're in bed.

So...

Keep a picture in your pocket

And a poem in your head

And you'll never feel lonely

At night when you're in bed.

Rebecca Cochrane

Media Specialist

From the Library Media Center

Winter Book Bingo

Third Grade Poetry Unit

During Library time, third graders are being

exposed to a lot of different types of poetry and are

exploring figurative language in poetry. My goal

is to have students really thinking about word choice

and how powerful words can be. Poets work at

picking the perfect word to express exactly what

they’re trying to say.

THE GLOBE 4

Metaphor (2 things being compared)

The rain came down in buckets

Simile (2 things being compared using LIKE or AS)

It was as heavy as a ton of bricks

Onomatopoeia (words whose sound suggest its meaning)

Woof! Buzz! Crack!

Hyperbole (great exaggeration)

Poetry is the best thing since sliced bread!

Alliteration (repeated sounds at the beginning of words)

Wonderful words in playful poetry

The purpose of the program is to get kids reading

about topics, choosing authors, and selecting books

that they might not normally select. Winter is a great

time to snuggle up on the couch with a great book to

read. Some of the squares include poetry, biography,

fantasy, and reader’s choice.

Students are having a lot of fun selecting a new

type of book. You may see the Bingo card at home.

Please encourage students to fill the card!

In the beginning of March, I introduced Winter

Book Bingo to students in grades 2-5. Every

student received a Bingo card with different book

genres, or styles. Students are challenged to first

complete bingo in any direction, and then fill the

whole card. For each type of book they read, they

must write down the author and title on the back.

Bingo earns a bookmark and Fill the Card earns a

BINGO Spirit Stick.

Ask your student to identify figurative language

when they see it in books, magazines, on television

commercials...colorful words are everywhere!

THE GLOBE 5

EARLY DISMISSAL

If necessary, children may be dismissed during the

normal school day. A note requesting early dismissal

must be sent to the principal or teacher prior to the

requested dismissal time. The note should include

the reason for the requested early dismissal. The

parent/guardian or person authorized (in writing) by

the parent/guardian must meet the student in the

school office to sign the student out. No student is to

leave the building unescorted during the school day.

A student must be present for at least half of the

regular school day in order to be considered in

attendance.

Grade 3 News

Calling all Entrepreneurs!

In our “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” unit,

third graders studied the various aspects of creating

their own businesses. They delved into aspects of

economics including supply and demand, goods

and services, money, and advertising. They

received real-world knowledge and inspiration

from our own Charter Oak business owners and

marketers. The following teachers spoke to the

classes: Sandra Felicissimo and her make-up

service, Penelope Drown and her family’s bike

shop, Melissa Zych and her cupcake business, and

Jo-Ann Lizon with her expertise in marketing.

Students took this knowledge and created their

own business plans including their own business

names, slogans and logos. The final businesses

included bakeries, sport shops, gyms, veterinarians,

attorneys, restaurants, spas, salons and much more.

Families will be able to see the students’ final

3-D model of their business and advertisements at

the Inquiry Gallery on Thursday, April 7.

The students cannot wait to share their creativity

with you!

The Third Grade Team:

Mrs. Brown

Ms. Florence

Ms. Giammatteo

DRESS CODE REMINDER

As we anticipate warmer temperatures, please

remember to dress for success.

For safety, closed toe shoes must be worn on

the playground (no flip flops or sandals).

Shoes need to have a strap across the back for

safety on the stairs.

No thin spaghetti strap tops or halter-tops;

tank tops need to have at least a 1 inch strap.

Shorts and skirts need to at least reach the end

of finger tips once outstretched at your child’s

sides.

We encourage proper attire in order to maintain

your child’s safety, and to assure that there is a

healthy learning environment for the children here

at COIA. A parent will be called for a change of

clothing if a child comes to school wearing

inappropriate clothing or shoes.

THE GLOBE 6

STAR STUDENTS

Congratulations to the following students who

were Charter Oak International Academy

STARS for the month of March.

Isabella B.

Justin C.

Anna Mae C.

Landon E-S.

Kelly F.

Yomairalyz G.

Daniel H.

Lilly K.

Sanvi L.

Carla L.

Evana M.

Jamal M.

Sabrina M.

Ahmad M.

Leila O.S.

Arycelli R.

Adriana S.

Mikey T.

SAVE THE DATE

Suzuki Concert

Pre-Kindergarten - Gr. 3

Thursday, April 28, 2016

9:30 - 10:30 a.m.

7:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Charter Oak International

Academy

“Shout Outs” Celebrate IB Learners

As an International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary

Years Program (PYP) School, our central responsibility

is “to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring

young people who help to create a better and more

peaceful world through intercultural understanding and

respect” (IB Mission Statement). An important aspect

of this is to teach students how to interact with others.

Through instruction of the IB attitudes (appreciation,

commitment, confidence, co-operation, creativity,

curiosity, empathy, enthusiasm, independence,

integrity, respect, and tolerance) students learn to

exhibit the Learner Profile attributes (communicator,

inquirer, caring, thinker, risk-taker, open-minded,

knowledgeable, balanced, principled and reflective).

This intentional focus on the Attitudes and Learner

Profile across disciplines and throughout the building

supports students in developing lifelong skills as they

become caring and responsible global citizens.

We celebrate students as they develop these skills in

a variety of ways in our school: in classrooms, through

our monthly student-led assemblies that highlight

student action, academic, and citizenship skills, via our

video announcements, with parent feedback from IB at

Home Sheets and Padlet posts, and, more recently,

through “Shout Out” sheets. These half-sheets are

available around the building, most noticeably outside

the auditorium. This allows students, staff, and parents

easy access to complete the sheets and then place them

in their grade level containers. Every Friday, forms are

drawn and the descriptions of those students (and

staff!) are read over the intercom by Mr. Melián. Students then come to the office for a group photo that

is posted outside of the cafeteria. At the end of each

month, all forms are distributed to students so they can

see how others have valued them as IB learners.

“Shout Outs” have celebrated a variety of

accomplishments—big and small-- from taking turns

and sharing, to spending extra effort on schoolwork. It

has been powerful to see how quickly the jars fill and

how committed our students and staff are to displaying

the IB attitudes and Learner Profile attributes—and to

celebrating each other.

Kirsten Sanderson

IB Coordinator

THE GLOBE 7

Kindergarten Alert

If you have a child who is eligible to enter

Kindergarten in the fall of 2016 (five years of

age on or before 1-1-17), please call the school

office at 860-233-8506 as soon as possible. We

would like to add your child’s name to our

incoming kindergarten list.

Kindergarten Parent Orientation Meeting

Thursday, May 12, 2016

6:30 pm

Auditorium

Odyssey of the Mind

Auction & Raffle

The Charter Oak International Academy

Odyssey of the Mind team will be holding a

silent auction/raffle to raise funds for students

to travel to the World Competition at Iowa

State University in May, 2016. The auction

will be held during “Inquiry Gallery” at

Charter Oak on April 7, 2016 in the cafeteria.

Please stop by and purchase raffle tickets

for a chance at winning some great items and

support your Charter Oak OM team at the

same time! Some of the raffle items include a

ShopRite basket of goodies and grocery store

gift card, a Claypen gift card and piggy bank,

Family pass for Essex Steam Train and

Riverboat and much, much more!

SPRING RECESS

Monday, April 11 - Friday, April 15

NO SCHOOL

Picking Up and Dropping Off

Safety First!

At Charter Oak International Academy, we are a

tight-knit, caring community. Together, we are

responsible for taking good care of our school

family. This family includes our children, our

families, our teachers, and our neighborhood.

Throughout this year, and into the next year, we

will be working through change, and will endure

inconvenience when dropping off and picking up

children from school. The one thing that will stay

the same, though, is our shared commitment to

safety.

Please remember that each and every one of us is

responsible for ALL of our children; each and every

day. We can make caring and responsible choices

that make this job easy. Please leave extra time to

park and drive carefully, be patient, and follow all

traffic rules on the streets by Charter Oak.

Thank you for your part in keeping our Family

Safe!

THE GLOBE 8

STUDENT ACTIVITIES

7:45

3:20

3:20

9:30

12:15

1:15

8:00

3:20

6:00 p.m.

7:45 a.m.

8:30

7:45

3:20

8:40 a.m.

3:20

12:15

1:15

8:00

3:20

6:30 p.m.

Monday, 3/28

Orchestra - Gr. 5

Explorations

Tuesday 3/29

Achieve

Wednesday, 3/30

Gr. 3 Field Trip

Band - Gr. 4

Band - Gr. 5

Thursday, 3/31

Chorus - Gr. 4&5

Achieve

PTO Meeting

Friday, 4/1

Art Show Opening

Gr. 5 - Career Day

Monday, 4/4

Orchestra - Gr. 5

Explorations

Tuesday, 4/5

Principal’s Breakfast

Achieve

Wednesday, 4/6

Band - Gr. 4

Band - Gr. 5

Thursday, 4/7

Chorus - Gr. 4&5

Achieve

Inquiry Gallery

Auditorium

Various Rooms

Various Rooms

Trash Museum

Auditorium

Auditorium

Music Room

Various Rooms

Media Center

Auditorium

Various Rooms

Auditorium

Various Rooms

Conference Room

Various Rooms

Auditorium

Auditorium

Music Room

Various Rooms

Various Rooms

DATE TIME LOCTION

ALL children and families are invited to

Ben & Jerry’s Free Cone Day on Tuesday,

April 12th from 12:00 to 8:00pm! Since 1979,

Ben & Jerry’s has been saying “thank you” to fans

around the world by sponsoring Free Cone Day.

This year, Ben &Jerry’s of West Hartford Center has

selected Connecticut Children’s Medical Center as

their charity of choice for their Free Cone Day

Celebration! On this special day, the register doesn’t

open. One hundred percent of event proceeds benefit

the kids at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.

Free Ice Cream Cones, Live Music & Much

More! Enjoy the Sounds of The River Mud Band

from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

What's Cooking at the FRC

The force was with us on Saturday, March 19 at

the FRC's Family Academy. More than 150 people

participated in hands-on workshops inspired by IB

learner profiles and taught by Charter Oak

International Academy staff or visiting artists.

Families built robots, learned storytelling

techniques, crafted origami Wookies, explored

galaxies far, far away and practiced Yoda Yoga and

Jedi gymnastics.

Thank you to everyone who participated and to

the folks at the American Savings Foundation

for their support of Family Academy.

Deborah Zipkin

FRC Director

Please clip Box Tops, Labels for Education and Tyson

Project A+ Drop them into the containers in the office.

These earn money for our school.

9 THE GLOBE

Kindergarten Parent Orientation

Thursday, May 12, 2016

6:30 - 8:00 p.m.

Charter Oak International Academy

Auditorium

Kindergarten Registration

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Friday, May 20, 2016

Parents will sign up for a registration day and time at

the parent orientation.

From The Lunchroom

The cafeteria is a place for learning, too.

IB Learner Profiles and Attitudes don’t

end at the classroom door.

Salad Bar Wednesdays provide children with

opportunities for risk-taking when sampling new

offerings like lentils with sunflower seeds or

lemony zucchini salad.

Students show commitment to environmental

stewardship by separating recyclable items – milk

or juice cartons, plastic containers #1-7, paper and

cardboard - out of the waste stream. Please, no

straws!

Several caring fifth graders have begun diverting

food waste from the garbage can to the compost

bin outside, demonstrating an appreciation for the

cycle of nature. This food that would otherwise

be bound for the incinerator becomes ‘free’

compost, which is a nutrient-rich soil amendment

great for lawns and gardens.

Please contact Kim Hughes at:

hugheskima@yahoo.com to learn more about

volunteer opportunities!

In My Own Words

THE TOMATO TEST By Nicole G.C.

In the story, the cockroach took her

grandmother’s advice on how to figure out if each

suitor would make a good husband. Now, it’s

your turn! What test would you use to determine

whether someone would be a good friend? What

would you call the test? How would it work?

My test would be called the tomato test. This is

how it works. First, you have to buy a tomato at the

grocery store. It can be any size, but it must be

mushy and soft. Now that you have the tomato, go

search for someone you think might make a good

friend. When you walk toward them, drop the

tomato and pretend to trip over it. After that, lie on

the ground and pretend like you were hurt when you

slipped on the tomato. If the person offers to help

you off the ground, it will prove that they would be a

kind and caring friend. If someone ignores you and

walks away, this is a good sign that this person does

not have the qualities that you would want in a friend.

Art Show Grand Opening

Friday, April 1, 2016

7:45 - 8:30 a.m.

Auditorium

Please join us to marvel at the beautiful artwork

your children have been working on this year. They

will proudly display their work in our Auditorium

Art Gallery.

The PTO is sponsoring a Family Reception for

this special opening. They will provide light

refreshments and will be taking pictures in the

auditorium.

The art exhibit will be on display from April 1

through Inquiry Gallery on April 7.

10 THE GLOBE

SCENES FROM FAMILY ACADEMY

CHARTER OAK INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY

ART SHOW OPENING

Friday, April 1st, 2016

7:45 – 8:30 a.m.

The PTO is sponsoring a Family

Reception for this special opening.

They will provide light refreshments

and will be taking pictures in the

auditorium.

The art exhibit will be on display

from April 1st through Inquiry

Gallery on April 7th.

Note: All students must be

accompanied by an adult. 1st grade Self Portrait by Aaron Sartori

5th grade Pineapple Still-Life by Lyra Gruber-Cooley

EVERYONE WELCOME!

Please join us to marvel at the beautiful artwork

our children have been working on this year. They

will proudly display their work in our Auditorium

Art Gallery.

Save the Date!

Charter Oak International Academy Presents

The Inquiry Gallery Thursday, April 7, 2016

6:30-7:30pm

Celebrate the rigorous work of Charter Oak’s internationally-minded students.

Enjoy touring the school, which will be transformed into an “Inquiry Gallery.”

Students will share both process and product from their IB units. They will make connections to

the IB learner profiles, attitudes, approaches to learning, and key concepts; and demonstrate

the knowledge they’ve gained from inquiries into the six IB transdisciplinary themes:

Who We Are Where We Are In Place and Time

How the World Works How We Organize Ourselves

Sharing the Planet How We Express Ourselves

Student performances and demonstrations will be held throughout the school.

Locations and times will follow.

“Truly wonderful the mind of a child is.” YODA, Star Wars Episode II

Charter Oak

International Academy

425 Oakwood Avenue

West Hartford, CT 06110

Phone: 860-233-8506

charteroak.whps.org

What will you do

to create a better and more peaceful world?

Performances

Percussionists

Kimberly, Maya, Ethel, Hassan and Joshua

Rhythms from around the world In front of auditorium — 6:15-6:30

Band Performance Jasmine C/Flute,

Surprise Symphony

MaryChun S/Flute

Can-Can

Jasmine and MaryChun

Trumpet Voluntary Duet

Tyler N/ Alto Saxophone

Spring

Atrium — 6:45-6:55

String Quartet Amelia N/Violin, Emily C/Violin, Kevin S/Violin,

Lydia G/Violin

Minuet 1 by Johann Sebastian Bach

Atrium — 7:00-7:10 “Truly wonderful the mind of a child is.“

YODA, Star Wars II

presents

The Inquiry Gallery

Celebrate the rigorous work of Charter Oak’s

internationally-minded students while touring our

Inquiry Gallery. Students will share both process

and product from our IB units. We will make

connections to the IB learner profiles, attitudes,

key concepts and skills, and demonstrate the

knowledge we’ve gained from studying the six

IB transdisciplinary themes:

Who We Are

Where We Are In Place and Time

How We Express Ourselves

How the World Works

How We Organize Ourselves

Sharing the Planet

April 7, 2016

6:30-7:30 pm

The Inquiry Gallery

Pre-K (Room 7A)

Ms. Dustin and Ms. Mohamed will facilitate an

exploration of the Pre-K IB units through favorite

family/classroom recipes and seasonal tools. Pre-K

children will take home a recipe book.

Kindergarten (Rooms 7, 8, 12)

Children will lead you in hands-on discoveries:

Visit the San Diego zoo via video conferencing as we

explore living and nonliving things

Try out tools and materials used in construction

Bring your creative mind and try out many ways to

show artistic expression

Grade 3 (Rooms 14, 15, 22)

See children take on different roles:

business owners: discuss business models/flyers

poets: read and listen to student poetry

authors: view informational writing on animal

adaptations

Adults and children will work together as a team with Mr.

Duquette to accomplish a balloon activity. This fun and

interactive activity will help kids and adults re-think the

importance of working as a community to help all children .

Family Resource Center (Room 2)

Learn how the FRC incorporates the IB learner

profiles and attitudes into Vantastic Voyages,

SAIL, the school play, Family Academy, and more.

The Literacy Center (Room 20)

Explore programs that your children use daily in the

Literacy Center, and see how we connect to the IB

philosophy. Read student reflections on how they

use the IB elements while reading.

Vocal Music (Room 6)

Learn about a Japanese tradition through the story of

The Drums of Noto Hanto. Inquire into the culture of

Hip Hop through a Brainpop session. Learn how beat,

rhythm and melody are connected through an

interactive music game. Open your mind to the musical

possibilities at COIA by watching a student work video.

Art (Auditorium)

View the amazing student artwork on display,

watch a video of Pre-K students describing their

sculptures, and observe a slide-show highlighting

students involved in the creative process, student

final pieces, and connections to IB.

Grade 4 (Rooms 13, 21)

Students “go public” with their learning:

“Fakebook” pages and micrography (art/text) and

symbolism art project tell about people who change

the world

Three branches of state government posters

human rights billboards

Sound and light artwork, glogs and experiments

You can join in the inquiry by having your photo taken at

the student-run photography station

Grade 1 (Rooms 9, 11, 19)

Students will share their new learning:

personal timelines highlight changes over time

the process of narrative writing

navigating informational texts to learn how an

animal’s structure helps it meet its needs

TLP— Second language learners will examine the

similarities and differences between alligators and

crocodiles using IB elements

Spanish—Students will demonstrate the integration of

IB elements in Spanish by sharing some important

facts about their paper bag animal puppets.

Grade 2 (Rooms 10,17,18)

Get involved in the inquiry:

make soil and guess the missing ingredient

investigate cycles of living things

guess which character said the fairy tale quote

Physical Education (Gym)

Put the IB learner profiles and attitudes into

practice by reading directions and completing the

four fitness challenges.

Library

From Library to MakerSpace!

Come in and tinker with building, taking apart,

using small tools, and being creative.

Makers must be curious, kind, helpful and

willing to take a risk...

Quest (Cafeteria)

Check out this year’s Odyssey of the Mind

higher-order thinking problem, and the COIA team’s

winning solution (including props and costumes).

Grade 5 (Rooms 23, 24, 25)

Students will present material from units such as elec-

tricity/alternative energies, space technology, sensory

enhancement, careers, and Colonial America. You can

learn about the IB Exhibition; and participate in

hands-on activities related to our units.

School Nurse

Stop by the Health Room, listen to the lub-dub of your

heart, and find out what your blood pressure is!

Media Center Lab

Watch a highlight reel of parent reflections about the

IB philosophy.

Resource (Room 5)

Practice the approaches to learning (thinking,

communication, research, social & self-management

skills) with iPads

ESOL (Room 16)

Students have been working on question words to

use for inquiry. Come see all the questions they

have and how they answered them.

The Inquiry Gallery ESSENTIAL AGREEMENTS

I will be confident about sharing my work.

Invite people over

Introduce myself

Explain what I’ve done

Be enthusiastic about the work

I will be open-minded and respectful when viewing the work of others.

Ask questions

Listen to the presenters

Keep my hands to myself

I will use appropriate self-management skills.

Walk in the halls

Inside voice

Stay with my parents

I will celebrate the work that I have done – and the work of my peers.

PLEASE JOIN US FOR

282 Washington Street, Hartford, CT 06106, © 2016 Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. All rights reserved. 16-107 New 2-16

Please

WWW.CONNECTICUTCHILDRENS.ORG

Tuesday, April 12th12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Free Ice Cream Cones, Live Music & Much More! Enjoy the Sounds of The Rivermud Band from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Since 1979, Ben & Jerry’s has been saying “thank you”

to fans around the world by sponsoring Free Cone Day.

This year, Ben & Jerry’s of West Hartford Center has

selected Connecticut Children’s Medical Center as their

charity of choice for their Free Cone Day Celebration!

On this special day, the register doesn’t open.

Donations are welcome and appreciated. One hundred percent of event proceeds benefit the kids

at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.

5½ South Main, West Hartford, CT

Parents:

How often do you feel frustrated with your

children’s behavior?

How much do you argue with your children?

Do you run out of consequences that really work?

Do you ever feel that you are working (MUCH)

harder than your children on their behavior?

If the answer is “YES!” to any of these questions,

then Love and Logic could help you!

We are offering three parenting classes that will include hand-

outs and large & small group discussion.

Dates: Wednesdays April 27, May 4 and 11

Time: 6:30 to 7:30 PM

Location: Charter Oak in the Library-Media Center

Child care will be provided. The cost of all three classes is just

$15 (assistance is available). Parents who have taken these

classes with us before are welcome. You might still have

questions and concerns, and your experience will help other

parents!

Sign up in the Charter Oak office today or call

Chuck Hummel, School social worker, at 233-8506.

Join us to share old memories of Charter Oak and visit your favorite places! Opportunities will be available to record your memories of Charter Oak. Please bring any memorabilia you are willing to donate. If you have items that we could photograph or make copies of, we would appreciate those as well. Light refreshments will be provided.

www.charteroak.whps.org

www.facebook.com/coiawhps

Save the Date- Saturday, April 30th, 2016

SATURDAYAPRIL 30th 1-4 pm

Charter OakInternationalAcademy425 Oakwood Ave.,

West Hartford, CT 06110

Celebrating Charter Oak!

Charter Oak International Academy425 Oakwood AvenueWest Hartford, CT 06110

Celebrating Charter OakSaturday, April 30th

1-4 pm