HAZARDVILLE MEMORIAL SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

2014-2015 SCHOOL YEAR

               H A Z A RD V I L L E M E M O RI A L SC H O O L 68 North M aple Street

Enfield, C T 06082 T E L EPH O N E : (860) 763-7501 and F A X : (860) 763-7507

www.enfieldschools.org JA M ES G R A H A M , Principal

Mr. Graham, Principal Dear HMS Families, As we march towards spring and hopefully warmer weather, I want to re-extend a warm invitation for you to be an active participant in your place across our school district there are certainly some new hoops to jump through this year. However, the benefits are well worth the extra effort. Parent connectedness and invshown to have a powerful, positive impact on student outcomes throughout their school years. There are many ways family members can stay connected to the HMS school day. Some examples are:

o Volunteering in classrooms and in the library. o Helping teachers organize and prepare for lessons and projects. o Attending PTO meetings and helping with PTO events. o Staying connected with classroom teachers to stay current with classroom expectations, student

progress, and academic resources for home. o Chaperoning field trips

To be as active as possible within the HMS community, please fill out the EPS volunteer form which is available in our main office as well as the fingerprinting information that goes along with it. All information collected through this process is confidential and does not pass beyond the BOE offices. The purpose of collecting the information is to ensure that the adults who come into the building are safe to be with our

have access to specific details on the information that comes from the

based on concerns for your confidentiality. Again, we only receive a general approval from the BOE offices, not specific details regarding the results. All of us at HMS are looking forward to finishing off the year with a strong, positive family presence. The more family and community members we have involved in our school daexperiences will be! Sincerely, J. Graham

PR E-K IND E R G A R T E N M rs. Wood: In January we started our very first clothes unit. The children really enjoyed working in our classroom

laundry mat. They took turns being the customer, cashier, and laundry mat attendant. We made a washer and dryer out of cardboard boxes and the children learned to how to wash and dry clothes. We learned that 1 dollar

to sort, fold, and hang clothes. We got our hands wet and soapy when we washed baby clothes in our water table. Then we made our hands stronger by using clothes pins to hang the wet clothes up to dry. We did a fun science experiment with liquid, powder, and bar soap and learned that the liquid soap made more bubbles. Learning all about clothes was fun.

In February, we turned the laundry mat into a post office. Thank you to the families that sent in paper products for the post office. The children have been taking turns being the customer, post master, and mail person. We watched a video that showed the children the process the mail goes through to be delivered. We learned our addresses, how to write a letter and even sent some of our own letters home through the mail. We did all sorts of math and literacy activities that involved the mail. We sorted mail, counted mail, wrote letters, put our address on envelopes, and made stamps.

We have also begun learning all about bears. We learned about different kinds of bears, what bears eat, where bears live, and that bears hibernate. We watched a bear video on discovery education that showed real bears in their habitats. We have a lot of non-fiction books about bears that the children have enjoyed looking at in our classroom library. We made an easy reader book about what bears eat and each child learned how to read it and we sent it home for them to read to their parents. We have been counting bears, sorting bears by size and color, and have been practicing 1:1 correspondence with our bear manipulatives. The children have enjoyed learning all about bears.

Next month we will begin our first unit about buildings. We will learn about different types of buildings, how buildings are made, what materials are used to make buildings, what buildings are used for, etc. Our post office will turn into a hardware store. We will do math and literacy activities involving buildings. Remember to check the preschool website for activities you can do with your children at home. Monthly newsletters that include books we will read, PAF for the month and more detailed activities are on the website as well as the monthly home/school calendar. Also remember to read to your child each day. Start by doing a picture walk before you read the story. Before opening the book, show the children the cover and read the title. Ask them what they think the story will be about based on what they see. Then slowly flip through the pages without reading the words. Ask your children questions about each picture they see and try to elicit responses basthink will happen. Then read the story and stop here and there to have a short discussion about what is happening in the book. We do this each time we read a story in school, so your children will be familiar with these activities. Have fun reading.

M rs. Towers: The students have been enjoying the post office dramatic play center. During the next few weeks we will be learning about Dr. Seuss,

r buildings unit. Please read aloud to your child every day. By reading together and demonstrating the proper way to hold a book and turn the pages your child begins to learn the left to right progression. For more mature learners move your finger underneath the words as you read, your child understands that you read left to right and top to bottom. It also helps children from a very young age to understand that the words you are saying are those written on the page, not just your own thoughts. Count everything! You can help your child learn to count by making counting a fun part of your day. Count socks as you sort them; count the juice boxes in your refrigerator; count the cars and busses going by. The more you count the more they will learn the meaning of numbers. For additional activities to do with your child please

We are looking forward to warmer weather so we can go outside to play, in the meantime, we try to go

outside every day for a walk (weather permitting). Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately (winter coat, hat, and mittens). We will not walk in the snow (boots are not needed). We do a lot of movement activities and sneakers are the safest footwear for school.

If it is snowing, raining or just plain freezing cold, please consider waiting in your car until the teaching staff comes out to pick up or drop off the children. The security officer is not allowed to let you enter the building without signing in at the office. Further, he cannot be sure the preschool staff is in the classroom and

ready to receive children in the classrooms. And please remind your child to hold your hand as you walk to the parking lot.

If your chil Young children are not able to maintain healthy habits (blow noses, cough into their arm, and wash their hands thoroughly) by themselves.

Like our partners in the primary grades, the preschool teachers have been working on helping our young students to develop Executive Function Skills. Executive function skills allow us to control our temper and our impulses, maintain our attention, plan and initiate. Obviously these skills are critical for success in school and beyond. One of the most motivating and therefore most effective ways that parents and preschool teachers can help children develop important executive function skills is through play. Simple games like Ring Around the Rosie and Red Light Green Light help children to attend to the behavior of others, remember the rules for the game and adjust their behavior to engage in the play. By making it a priority to help our students develop important executive function skills, we set the children up for success in meeting the academic and social challenges of the curriculum.

M rs. Horn: We have just finished our Clothes unit. The children learned about taking on roles in a laundromat,

sorting by type of clothing and colors, along with mixing primary colors to create secondary colors. We are currently learning about caring for pets and have opened up our very own veterinary care! The children will continue to work on their cooperative skills (working together, sharing, communication skills) and social skills (interactions, compassion/caring). Exciting activities we are working on:

Lego kits provided by our partnership with Lego Executive functioning which includes: linear calendar, morning message, question of the day, play

plans, and structured play

Important things to remember : Please remember to dress your child appropriately (hats, mittens, boots if needed and sneakers to change

in to). Check the preschool calendar for closure dates. Remember that I have the classroom website available with important links and pictures posted from our

classroom experiences.

Spring is almost here! We are looking forward to the warm weather so we can enjoy the outside again!

M rs. Curley: Room 103 has been working on a variety of winter topics. Our class has counted snowballs, snowman

and ice cubes. Check out our website for some great pictures of some of our activities. Our website also has some great inside activity ideas for these cold winter days.

Count everything! Help your child learn to count by making counting a fun part of your day. Count silverware as you set the table. Ask your child if you have enough or too many forks for the number of plates. Make math fun. Count the number of goldfish crackers for snack or your groceries as you put them in your cart. The more you count the more they will learn the meaning of numbers.

Read to your child every night. Ask them about who is in the story. By reading together and demonstrating the proper way to hold a book and turn the pages your child begins to learn the left to right progression of words on a page. Point out environmental print such as signs on the road or logos in a restaurant or store. Help your child learn about the words around them. Every Tuesday your child will have a book in their

that book. We have turned our dramatic play area into a post office. Keep a look out for some handmade postcards coming in the mail!

We are looking forward to warmer weather so we can go outside to play; in the meantime, we try to go outside every day for a walk and to shake off some of our cabin fever! Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately (coat, hat, and mittens). Gloves are hard for preschools to get on by themselves so we prefer mittens. We will not walk in the snow (boots are not needed). We do a lot of movement activities and sneakers are the safest footwear for school. IYoung children are not able to maintain healthy habits (blow noses, cough into their arm, and wash their hands thoroughly) by themselves.

We had a visit from our Lego educator. We have learned some new vocabulary to go along with our new Lego Story Kits. Please try and reinforce these at home. Bricks the blocks that snap together (we do not call them Legos. That is the name of the company that makes the bricks). Studs the bumps on the top of the bricks that help them stick together. Base plate the flat piece with studs that we build on. Build what we do with bricks.

Check out our website for more fun things to do and for many opportunities to talk about what is happening at school. Website link http://www.enfieldschools.org then preschool pages are under dept. http://www.downhomeinspiration.com/homemade-frozen-play-dough/ http://fun-a-day.com/preschool-science-fun-ice-castles/

K IND E R G A R T E N M rs. Dupuis: It has been very cold these last few weeks. Some zippers on winter coats are getting stressed. If you rub

candle wax across the teeth, you may get the season out of your child's coat. The application of candle wax also makes it easier for little hands to operate their zippers. Also on that note, please send children to school with warm hats and mittens as the weather is unseasonably cold. We are all looking forward to the arrival of spring. We miss daily outdoor recess. We are earning dance parties for great behavior and these kids have some great moves.

In language arts we are reading and learning about nonfiction conventions. Most recently, we enjoyed researching Penguins. We completed our informational writing as we wrote many how to books. Our next writing unit is to write persuasive pieces. Students will identify real life problems and persuade their readers on how the problems can be solved. In Mrs. Dupuis' class, every child was placed on RazKids, a program you can access from home providing your child with hundreds of leveled reader books to listen to, read and take assessments on to further develop their reading fluency and comprehension. If you have misplaced your signup sheet, just let me know thru Class Dojo, a note sent in with your child or a quick email @lfoydupuis@enfieldschools.org.

In math we are beginning mixed facts, both addition and subtraction and we will be working to build our math fact fluency to and from 5. We will begin exploring teen numbers next. We continue to work on problem solving. We are thinking about what each problem is asking. We make a plan to solve. We draw helpful pictures and we label the important information. Then we write a math fact that shows our thinking and we explain our answer orally. We also attempt to explain our thinking in writing too. We are becoming very capable problem solvers in K100!

M rs. Duper re/M rs. Steere The kindergarten students in Room 2 have been very busy working hard, despite all of our snow days.

students have demonstrated abecoming wonderful readers!

students are really engaged and having fun with writing reasons to convince others. Not only are the students

convince me, as well as, their peers!

M rs. Valley: Dr. Seuss

This quote has come to define the atmosphere of our classroom. The students in Room 3 have developed such incredible respect and trust for one another. They feel comfortable sharing their questions, thoughts, and opinions about the world with each other. During class discussions, it is not uncommon to hear one student tell another student that he/she disagrees with their opinion and why. This type of discourse amongst peers allows them to gain a deeper understanding of the information being presented to them. This type of discussion occurs naturally in our classroom at this point in the year. I would like to share some statements/questions you can use at home with your child during reading or whenever you see fit!

Accountable talk at hom

Can you give me an example of that? What in the book made you think that?

I enjoyed seeing all of you during

M rs. Neiman:

that Room 4 students are achieving. Their physical growth and knowledge is amazing! We have been so

our skills of reading CVC words. Using our sounds and knowing our sight words fluently will keep us on the right track for reading more and more books! I keep encouraging Rthem, which means books they can fluently and easily read (with very few unknown words to them.) I want them to LOVE READING! While in math, we have been exploring addition and subtraction within 5 (and up to learn why math is so important to real life!

Please keep up the great work at home with reading, writing, counting, and other math skills. Thank you for helping you child love Kindergarten in Room 4!

Miss Ricci:

Room 5 is working super hard on becoming Super Readers! We apply our reading strategies to every book we read. When reading at home try to remind your children to:

1. Always do a picture walk first. This helps them get ready for what the words say. 2. Use their reading finger to point to each word as they read. 3. Use the beginning letter sounds to get their mouth ready to read the word. 4. Sound out the words they do not know. 5. And finally, once they

smooth and accurate. I am very proud to see the improvements all of the students in Room five have made. As the year progresses we will be focusing on reading and writing independently. We are currently working on

or a puppy or trip to Disney. ;

F IRST G R A D E M rs. Venoutsos: The first graders in Room 11 are becoming outstanding readers and writers! We completed our reading

Workshop, the students published their own information chapter book and shared their hard work with their classmates. The children are very excited to begin our next unit- writing reviews- because they will get to state their opinions and share the reasons for thinking the way they do. To kick off this unit, each child is bringing in

been focusing on problem solving strategies and building our fact fluency with addition and subtraction within 20. The students have also been excited to work with partners to do some hands-on problem solving with our LEGO materials. On top of all of our exciting academic initiatives, we are also implementing our school-wide PBIS program. Ask your child about appropriate behavior in the classroom, hallways, cafeteria and bus. They are experts at demonstrating what they need to do! Coming up in the spring we have our first grade field trip to the CRRA Trash Museum in Hartford, CT. Please contact me if you would like to attend this exciting trip with

home! M rs. Schermerhorn:

packet I sent home. We are now moving onto our opinion writing unit where the students will be coming up with reasons for their opinions. In our next reading unit, we will again be focusing on informational text, focusing on research with animals. We will be utilizing the library and technology to find information on our topics of their choosing. Our fluency with our +/- home! Ask your child if they can tell you their doubles facts! In science we continue to dive into our LEGO programs been working on. As a school we have implemented a positive behavior system (PBIS) and are working at understanding our school expectations; in the classroom, cafeteria, bathroom, hallways, on the bus & playground expectations. Finally, we have had a few parents come in to read for our Mystery Reader Program. I have also asked teachers to come in and surprise our class as mystery readers! We have many teachers signed

contact me @ kschermerhorn@enfieldschols.org. Thanks for all your continued home support! Mrs. Schermerhorn

Miss A lmeida: Our first grade friends have not lost their momentum regardless the obstacles a winter in New England

created for us. Students have finished their independent research projects for their selected animals; they were accountable for typing up their collected information and selecting images to enhance their writing. Having put the final touches on their digital texts, students presented their work to their classmates and brought home a hard copy to share with you. Coinciding with our reading focus, the informational pieces your child worked on during Writer's Workshop will be coming home, too. In math, we have finished up our units on fractions and moved into addition and subtraction strategies within 20. I am amazed by their ability to solve a given problem in a variety of ways. Their automaticity continues to improve; they love setting personal goals in XtraMath!

If you need any of the paperwork so that you can use Lexia, XtraMath, or RazKids at home don't hesitate to ask. Remember, we love mystery readers and helping hands for special activities in the classroom, however, all volunteers need to be fingerprinted first. Let me know if you'd like me to send home the paperwork for it! For more information about what is going on in our classroom, check out our class blog on our webpage - www.hazardvillehuskies.weebly.com.

M rs. Hallak : We have counted down to the 100th day of school! And, up to 120! Our addition and subtraction

strategies include doubles, doubles plus one, fact families, adding on to the higher number, groups of 10, using a number line and manipulatives. Great mathematics is going on in First Grade.

It has been exciting to see the growth in writing. Our first unit was small moment narrative stories. We just completed the informational writing unit where the students demonstrated their talent in

ew writing! Our Language Arts unit for reading includes critical and deep thinking about a variety of text. For example, students are learning about polar bears. They read fiction and non-fiction books comparing and contrasting all the elements of the polar bear. Students investigate all aspects of the animal as a real creature and as a character in a story. They are loving it!

Interdisciplinary subjects, including Science, Social Studies, Lego and PBIS (positive behavior intervention services) are practiced daily and include but are not limited to; holidays, maps and communities, seasonal changes, magnets, forces in motion and Project feeder watch.

HMS and first grade loves volunteers! As a reminder, if you are thinking of volunteering at an event, in the classroom or on a field trip the BOE requires finger print screening.

Thanks to all the families of room 14 for your support of our educational values and hardworking students. They are amazing. M rs. Wisnesky:

Caps for Sale, Frog and Toad, and

feelings and traits. Students worked together to compare and contrast the character of the Wolf in Lon Po Po and in other versions of Little Red Riding Hood. Our next unit of study will focus on strategies to help us think critically as we research topics. First graders have shared their expertise on several subjects while writing their informational books. We have all learned so much about topics such as healthy foods, taking care of a cat, chores, and the very popular game - Minecraft! We will soon begin Persuasive Writing stating our opinion and providing reasons why we feel that way. Have you heard your mathematicians use the words halves, fourths, or equal shares? Soon they will be pointing out doubles facts (6 plus 6, 8 plus 8) to you as we continue to practice strategies to help us become fluent with facts up to 20. A lot of great teamwork is going on in Room 15 when we work with partners to explore simple machines using the Lego kits. Finally, we are patiently waiting for the birds to arrive at our birdfeeder! We have only seen 1 lonely crow peck at a chunk of ice.

SE C O ND G R A D E M rs. G regoire: In math we have completed the unit: Fluency with Addition and Subtraction within 100. The students

applied their understanding of place value to the operations of addition and subtraction, used a variety of strategies, including number lines to add and subtract, developed fluency with the identification and value of coins and solved problems with money. We are presently working on a geometry unit and continue to work on addition and subtraction fact fluency.

In reading and writing we are doing a research project on birds that relates to our informational writing and reading units. The children are taking notes on the bird they have chosen and will complete an encyclopedia page. The next unit is on opinion writing.

In reading and social studies we are studying about maps in Social Studies. We are learning about directions, landform maps and the different kinds of landforms.

M rs. Z iter : Students in room 18 have been busy reading and writing non-fiction/informational texts. Last week they completed the district Expository Writing Prompt. Students will soon begin a unit on opinion writing. In Math students are finishing a unit on addition and subtraction of 2-digit numbers, as well as a section on money. They will be tested on these skills this week. Our next unit is on reasoning with shapes. As part of our Science unit on Matter, students did some sink and float activities. We have also been learning about the water cycle and weather. In Social Studies we are learning about Presidentsfocusing on the accomplishments of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

M rs. Edelstein: Rm 19 has completed many units of study this year. In reading we have worked on improving our reading habits by learning how to choose a book that is right for us and increase our reading stamina. We completed our character study in which we discussed the challenges characters face in fiction stories and their responses to those challenges. Most recently, we completed our unit of study where we used text features to understand informational text. We summarized the information by writing the main idea and details. Our next reading unit will focus on researching birds and dinosaurs. In writing we have completed our personal narrative unit where we wrote small moment stories about our lives. We recently completed our unit on writing informational texts in which we performed and wrote up science experiments and wrote informational books about science topics. In our next writing unit we will write our opinions about books we are reading. In math we have focused on improving fact fluency, place value skills, money, and adding and subtracting two digit numbers. We have been using a variety of strategies to help us understand numbers, show our work and be able to discuss our math thinking with others. Next, we will learn about 2 dimensional shapes. We have completed our matter unit in science in which we learned about the states of matter and used what we learned in our science experiments related to sink and float. We will also learn about clouds, weather, and dinosaurs this year. In social studies we have completed our units on building a classroom community and world holidays. We are currently in our map unit where we will be creating our own maps and using what we learned to show where birds live and where dinosaur fossils have been found in our reading research projects. Please continue to practice math facts and read nightly at home. Students have access to Xtra Math, Spelling City, RAZ Kids, and Core 5 at home to practice important skills that will help them be successful in school.

M rs. Rossetti: Rm 20 has been very busy! The students have been working on becoming experts on information texts--both in reading and in writing. We have recently completed our informational writing unit. To kick-off the unit, the students conducted a science experiment about matter and wrote a lab report in which they made a hypothesis, stated the procedure, and analyzed their results. They students then wrote informational books on topics that they were experts. The books covered a wide array of subjects including various animals, sports, and science topics. Next, the students will be writing opinion letters about the books they are reading. In our reading unit, the students learned how to use text features, how to compare and contrast texts on the same topic, and how to identify the main idea and supporting details within a text. These skills will be beneficial as we move into our next reading unit in which the students will be researching different informational topics such as birds and dinosaurs. In math, the students learned how to count money and how to make change from $1.00. They have also been working diligently on learning new strategies to add and subtract two-digit numbers. After we complete this unit, we will be focusing on 2-dimensional shapes.

The students have learned about matter and clouds in science. They have learned about community-building, world holidays, and are currently learning about maps in social studies. Throughout the rest of the year, the students will learn about weather and dinosaurs in science.

A R T M rs. Martin: Students in art classes have worked with a variety of materials this year. A particular focus is on usage

and care of materials. Many classes now have students who are responsible for pencils, glue, journals and glue. Ask your child what materials they like to use in art class, and how those materials are stored, carried, and used most effectively and safely.

Second graders have all experienced making a clay bowl by connecting a clay spiral. Fingers wet with a small amount of water helps to smooth and connect the coiled forms. Clay works travel from Hazardville Memorial to Enfield High for firing, so the process is time consuming and particular. First graders all met the challenge of weaving with great effort. They worked hard with pattern, knot tying, and learning a skill that is not easy to do at first (or second) attempt. Kindergarten students are looking at ways to produce shapes, using a geoboard and watercolors to see how to make triangles and rectangles and squares.

School-wide, we are looking at the collage work of Eric Carle and his book about Franz Marc, The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horseand simply enjoying the exploration of art and creation. Encourage your child to explore art at home by drawing a bit, making something from those odd bits that are everywhere and by visiting a museum or going online to look at a museum collection.

M USI C M rs. Zakoscielny: Students in Kindergarten music have been working on singing Sol and Mi, differentiating between high

and low sounds and performing a new circle dance that changes directions and includes a two-hand turn. They are continuing to develop their steady beat skills and will be reading simple rhythm patterns containing quarter

-Tisket, A-read in future music classes. We also talked about phrasing and appropriate places to breathe. Students have been developing their skills with four beat rhythm patterns containing quarter notes (du), paired eighth notes (du de) and quarter rest. They have been reading, clapping, playing on instruments, composing, writing and playing rhythm games. Students have also been working on differentiating between solfége and rhythm as well as line and space notes. Second graders have also started learning their new note the half note. Keep a lookout for the monthly music newsletter and when children bring worksheets home see if they can teach you what they have learned

PH YSI C A L E DU C A T I O N M rs. Annis:

s break the floor was sanded down and refinished. It looks gorgeous. The bleachers were also taken out and replaced with lightweight, portable, aluminum bleachers. It looks like a brand new gym! Just a reminder, students must wear sneakers on PE days. We need to keep that floor in tiptop shape. We just finished an In-School Bowling Unit. All students bowled for two weeks. Bradley Bowl in WL provided us with all the equipment needed- balls, pins, and lanes. The students had a blast. Many of them joined the Strike and Spare Club and they also received pins to color and hang up in the gym. Thank you Bradley Bowl for lending us your equipment. Mark your calendars: Field Day is Friday, June 5 with a rain date of Monday, June 8.

This event only runs smoothly with volunteers. Please make sure you get fingerprinted at central office so you can help out during this fun event!

L IBR A R Y M rs. Battista:

The library is a very busy place-all classes have been meeting weekly, in spite of the weather! Once again, the students of HMS did a great job with their Summer reading - we had 31 students read 711 titles. The results were good enough that we were able to keep the trophy in the library. Congratulations to all who participated.

n more students participating! Lunch time library has been very well attended by Grades 1&2. Students have been able to use the computers and I pads, and check out more books. This year, in addition to Lunch Bunch library for Grade 2, there is also Lunch Time Story Time for Grade 1. Both of these programs take place once a month and involve students having their lunch in the library-

And as always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to let me know.

SPE C I A L E DU C A T I O N M rs. Guglietta:

- Dr. Temple Grandin

In my classroom I am committed to teaching my students, with careful consideration for their individual needs. My students have come to understand the expectations of them as they work hard to be the best they can

In addition to the grade-level standards-based instruction, my students are enjoying working on skills that address their iep goals and objectives, especially using the iPads to apply those skills and new learning. Thank you for your commitment at home, as you read to your children, look over and/or help them with homework, or simply encourage them to do their best! This makes a world of difference -Joseph Joubert Thank you for allowing me to teach and learn from your children.

M rs. Long: What a wonderful start to the New Year!! Students in room 10 are actively engaged in learning and

doing so many wonderful things in reading, writing and math. I am so proud of them!! In reading, we spent the first half of the year working towards mastery of recalling letters and sounds and using our sounds to stretch out words in our writing. As we continue to reinforce and strengthen our knowledge of letters and sounds, we are now learning how to read high frequency words and recognizing them in both informational and fictional text. Students continue to strengthen their reading comprehension by using their knowledge to ask and answer questions, retell a story and sequence important events. In writing, students continue to use learned high frequency words, and transition words to create great sentences with the proper capitalization and punctuation. In mathematics, students continue to learn to recognize, read and find missing numbers up to 120. Currently, students are using what they learned about place value to apply many different strategies to add and subtract numbers. It is pretty amazing what they can do!! Have them show you!! Stay warm and safe this winter and thank you so much for sharing you kids with me!!

R E A DIN G R O O M M rs. Jennings: The Reading Room is a very busy place at Hazardville Memorial School! If you enter the Reading

Room you will find students working in small groups, reading independently, and working with the TLC tutors in our TLC Program. Yes, we are reading but there is so much that goes into reading! Our time is spent reviewing and practicing our reading strategies to decode words. We are practicing sight words on our word rings. These sight words are words that we cannot sound out, they are words that need to be memorized in order for us to recognize then automatically when we are reading. So much of our time is spent reading fiction and informational books. Not only are we reading the words in the books, we are thinking about what these words mean, the story they are telling, and the information that is being taught to us. We often ask the children

how to retell stories from beginning to end including important details from the fiction text. With informational text, the students are being asked to share what they have learned and how the text features have helped them to better understand the text. There are so many components to learning how to read. We are working hard to help your child build a strong reading foundation so that he/she will become a confident independent reader. Please continue to read with your child and encourage your child to read for pleasure! Read with your child and listen to your child read. -May Ellen Chase Take your child to the library and/or bookstore to choose books! The staff at the library and bookstores are always willing to help you find books that are appropriate for your child to read.

- F redrick Douglass M rs. Pellegrini:

Whether at home or in the reading room, we continue to sharpen those reading skills. Every day we build fluency with poetry and re-reading texts that we have brouwords, as we try to comprehend and understand what we are reading.

Check pictures Does it look right?

Get your mouth ready for the first sound Does it sound right?

Look for chunks Does it make sense?

Take a guess and read on

Here are a few winter titles to look for: Stranger in the Woods: A Photographic Fantasy by Carl R. Sams, Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett, The Mitten or The Hat by Jan Brett, or Owl Moon by Jane Yolen (my favorite).

M A T H R O O M

M rs. Mc Carthy:

Math News ~ Mrs. McCarthy            

       

 

Greetings  from  the  math  room!    We  have  been  very  busy  since  returning  from  our  holiday  break.      

A  focus  of  all  grade  levels  here  at  HMS  has  been  Fact  Fluency.    All  students  have  number  facts  (both  addition  and  subtraction)  that  they  are  expected  to  know,  and  be  able  to  solve  in  a  timed  setting.    I  am  sure  you  have  seen  the  practice  sheets  come  home  wimportance  of  practice  enough!    One  of  the  ways  we  have  been  expolring  both  addition  and  subtraction  is  with  a  tool  called  a  Rekenrek.    The  word  Rekenrek  means   The  rekenrek  is  made  of  red  and  white  beads,  10  per  line.    Students  look  for  patterns  of  5  and  10  to  add  and  subtract  numbers.    This  is  a  great  visual  way  to  look  at  numbers  ,  and  we  can  add  them  together  or  take  them  apart.    In  art  class,  each  student  made  their  own  rekenrek  and  they  are  being  used  in  their  classes  during  the  math  blocks.    

Take  a  look!  

 

A C A D E M I C SUPPO R T M rs. Cafasso:

I have enjoyed going into all the rooms I am assigned to this year (2,5,12, 13,15, 18, 19, and 20). In Kindergarten, we continue to review letter/sounds and sight words. We have been working on leveled texts. Also, the Kindergarteners are enjoying interacting with the Alphablocks videos on YouTube. You too can easily access them from home, ask your kids and they will tell you all about it! In First Grade, I work on spelling, writing and math with the students. I am so impressed with how First Graders are working on informational texts and writing chapter books on topics of their choice. They are developing into quite the writers. In math, we are working on math fluency and using the Rekenrek . The students love using this math tool.

In Second Grade, we continue to use the Rekenrek for math fluency and computation. We are also working on Great Books and leveled texts. I am astonished by their level of accountable talk and critical

M rs. Wilcox: Our students are working very hard in all areas. The kindergarten students in room 100 are learning new

sight words all the time and recognizing these words in their daily reading and using these words in their daily writing. Our first grade students are becoming regular mathematicians. Each day time is devoted to learning addition and subtraction facts. These hardworking students are using unifex cubes, base ten blocks, number lines, and rekenreks to help them become more fluent in their math facts and to better understand math concepts. I appreciate all the support they receive at home. Second grade students are also working hard learning all about money. In addition learning about money, our students are learning different ways to subtract two digit numbers. We will continue to work on these important skills to help them become more successful. Please continue to ask your child what they are doing every day.

M rs. Bar ry:

I am an Academic Support teacher in Kindergarten and First Grade. I primarily service language arts, but offer assistance in other areas. I am enjoying the position very much. I also teach computers to all second graders. This is a new experience for me! They are learning to type with speed, accuracy, and fluency. I am pleased with their progress. I look forward to each day with the children! Ms. Meyers & Ms. Schwartz: Our names are Ms. Meyers and Ms. Schwartz. We are the literacy interns at Hazardville Memorial School from The University of Saint Joseph graduate program. Our role at Hazardville Memorial School is to work with students to develop their literacy skills. In Kindergarten we are working on phonemic awareness (which is recognizing the smallest sounds in speech.) Strengthen this skill with your child by checking out pbskids.org and searching for phonemic awareness games. We are also working on letter, sound and sight word recognition and. These students are reading grade level texts. In First Grade, we are working on phonics. For example, word families such as oke, -ug , and at. These First Grade students are also working on grade level texts. A good resource for you to use with your child to help them enhance their phonics skills is www.kidzone.ws/phonics/worksheets1.htm. various comprehension strategies such as retelling non-fiction books with main idea and detail. We have also been working on grade level texts with our second graders. While reading with your child, engage in conversation with them about what the main idea of the story and why it is important.

M rs. Walsh & M rs. Thompson:

Mrs. Walsh, School Counselor, and Mrs. Thompson, Speech and Language Pathologist, have developed social language groups with on the following social skills: Participating in conversations Asking and answering questions L istening to the speaker Staying on topic The following tips can be used by parents and caregivers to help home:

- By developing your own communication skills and using them when interacting with children and young people, you are providing an example of how to communicate with others

- Find opportunities to raise communication issues with children and young people to help expand their awareness

- Good communication skills require practice - the home environment is the perfect setting to practice these skills

- Teaching children and young people to listen is just as important as teaching them to express themselves. Good communication is two-way

- Sticking to the issue at hand limits the potential for confusion and misunderstanding - For young children in particular, games and make-believe role playing activities

can be useful to teach communication skills in imagined scenarios

NURSE M rs. L emay: Your child should have a change of clothing (underwear, socks, pants and shirt) in school. There are

many instances such as recess puddles or bathroom accidents that require a change of clothes. The nurse does not have underwear or multiple sizes in order to fit every child. If your child does happen to bring home clothing that the nurse gave them, please wash and return the clothes as soon as possible.

If you have received a referral for either vision or hearing screenings, please return the completed -to-date. If your child has brought home a

referral this means that they were screened at two different times but did not meet the state criteria for passing. If the referral was misplaced, the doctor can write their findings on a separate piece of paper, which can be submitted.

There is an informational brochure about safe storage and disposal of prescription medication for families on the ct.gov website. The specific address is: http://www.ct.gov/dcp/lib/dcp/drug_control/pmp/pdf/parents.pdf Please consider printing this to use in your home as a reference.

I would like to give you information regarding chicken pox. Chicken pox is caused by a virus which is spread by direct contact or through the air by coughing or sneezing. The incubation period can be from 10-21 days. The most common symptoms are rash, fever, coughing, headache and loss of appetite. A rash appears with dew-like rose petal appearing blisters which come in crops which lasts about 5-10 days. A child is contagious from 1-2 days before the rash appears and continues to be contagious until all the blisters are crusted over. The treatment is bed rest, fluids, control of the fever and itchiness of the blisters. Children should not

Children need to be out of school until all of the blisters have crusted over and are checked by the school nurse. My voice mail is accessible 24 hours a day at 860-763-7502. If you would like me to call you, I would

be pleased to speak with you. Leave your name and number and I will return your phone call as soon as I am able. My office hours are from 8:20am-3:35pm Monday-Friday.

SC H O O L PSY C H O L O G IST Caryn Rosenberg:

Hello! My name is Caryn Rosenberg and I am one of the school psychologists at Hazardville Memorial. I work with students in kindergarten through second grade and am in the building on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. My job is to evaluate students who are struggling academically, behaviorally, or socially, and consult with teachers and parents in order to develop plans to help them succeed.

This year, I am excited to be part of the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports committee. We are working to develop a program that teaches students expectations and rewards them for all of the great things they already do. I am enjoying working with the Memorial students and staff very much and look forward to meeting more of you this year. Please feel free to contact me with any questions at crosenberg@enfieldschools.org or (860)253-6547. I am excited to be working with the Enfield community!

Professional Learning Days

August 25 Staff Convocation

August 26 August 27 October 9 November 3 February 12 School Closing Hotline

860-­253-­5170

Website -­ www.enfieldschools.org

Prof. Learning Community

Prof. Learning Community

Mtg. & Early Rel w/Lunch AUGUST -­ 0 Days SEPTEMBER -­ 21 Days

September 30

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March 30 Full Day PL 30 31 April 27 Half Day PL *25* Staff Convocation Day "1" First Day of School May 25 Elem.

Conf. <26> Professional Learning Day

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30> K-­12 Early Release & Staff PL

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<9> Staff PL -­ NS <3> Election Day & Staff PL -­ NS 16> K-­12 Early Release & Staff PL [12] Columbus Day Observed -­ NS

9 & 12 -­ K-­5 Evening Elementary Conf.

[24-­31] Christmas Vacation -­ NS

28> K-­12 Early Release & Staff PL

10>&13> 6-­12 Early Rel & Staff PL

10>&13> K-­5 Early Rel. Day -­ Elem. Conf.

[11] Veteran's Day Observed -­ NS

18 -­ 6-­8 Evening Conferences

19 -­ 6-­8 Afternoon Conferences

19 -­ 9-­12 Evening Conferences

[25-­27] Thanksgiving Break NS

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FEBRUARY -­ 19 Days

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31 [1] New Year's Day -­ NS <12> Staff PL -­ NS [25] Good Friday -­ NS [18] MLK Day -­ NS

[15] President's Day -­ NS 30> K-­12 Early Release & Staff PL

27> K-­12 Early Release & Staff PL

24> K-­12 Early Release & Staff PL

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MAY -­ 21 Days

JUNE -­ 10 Days

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[18-­22] Spring Vacation -­ NS 25> K-­12 Early Release & Staff PL "14" -­ 181st Student Day 27> K-­12 Early Release & Staff PL

[30] Memorial Day Observed -­ N/S

20* -­ 185th Student Day -­ EHS Graduation

21* -­ 186th Student Day -­ FHS Graduation