“Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious.”

- Stephen Hawking

EDGECOMB EDDY SCHOOL edgecomb.aos98.net

AOS 98/Rocky Channels School System 207-882-5515

March 19, 2018

MARK YOUR CALENDARS Mar. 19 - Apr. 13: MEAs for grades 3-6 March 19: Pre-K to Farms Kitchen Mar. 21, 6-7: Incoming Pre-K/K Open House

& Ice Cream Social Mar. 28, 5:30-6:30: School Budget Info Night

for parents Mar. 29: Kindergarten Performance Festival 2nd Grade Swim: See Page 6!

Testing Time is Here It is no secret that there is a great voice of public frustration around standardized assessment due to several factors: some of the biggest concerns being that the tests seeming inauthentic to actual student learning as well as future work and educational needs, and over-testing children and fostering anxiety. In the midst of this cloud of doubt, there are positives that can be pulled from the results of our students’ assessments. Educators are able to look at individual and group longitudinal trends (as long as the assessment does not change too much) in relation to proficiency with state standards. Educators are able to compare individual, group, and whole-school results using an assessment that is taken statewide and incorporates different forms of responses (multiple choice, short answer, and longer constructed response). Educators are also able to use data from this assessment and pool it with local data to see if there are trends that will allow for us to better target student needs and shift our educational practices. Whether your personal feelings support or refute standardized testing, our funding for special education greatly depends upon our students participation in these assessments. The staff and I worked hard at creating a schedule for testing that attempts to optimize continued learning and will not fatigue the students or staff in our amazing school. To sum up, there are a number of things you could do at home to help make this testing time a success for all. First, encourage your child to do the absolute best she or he can in order that we have as accurate a representation of their abilities as possible. Second, make sure that your child is here on time for testing. Attempting to schedule make-up sessions detracts from your child’s ability to be in their regular educational setting and removes staff from other duties they would normally be performing. If you know ahead of time that your child will need to be absent during part of our assessment window, please communicate this with your child’s classroom teacher in order that we can have him/her get the assessment done before the window closes. This will allow for us to collect information about their learning as well as avoid being penalized as a school. Third, please make sure your child is well rested and fed. Being tired and feeling hungry does not allow for your son/daughter to demonstrate their learning successfully. We appreciate your continued support and communication during this time. Please reach out to me or your classroom teacher if you have any questions or concerns. - Mr. Michaud

Classroom Corner…

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In Guidance class with Mrs. Bezon, students are exploring the Thinkables and Unthinkables, a crew of social superheroes and their counterpart villains. This creative curriculum will be used over the next few weeks as we dig into ‘social thinking,’ and expected versus unexpected behaviors. Students in grades 4-6 are creating movies and skits to deliver to engage the younger students to consider how their behavior impacts the people around them. To pursue this reflection more at home: If you notice your child over-reacting to a minor problem, prompt them to consider if they are having a ‘Glass Man’ reaction or a ‘Kool Q Cumber’ response. Enjoy story-telling or role playing with these characters!

Note from the front office: Free and reduced lunch forms are always available in the office. Please see staff if you feel you need one of these.

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Mrs. Bezon and her RTI group “The Dunkin Donaters” delivered items to the animal shelter and

helped out by walking dogs, brushing cats, and cleaning up.

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5/6 kids with their working lung models!

All 4th, 5th and 6th graders have been studying the systems of the human body and their interconnections in science this year. We have all been learning a lot and having fun along the way. Some activities we have done include working together to act out how blood pumps through the heart, becoming nerve impulses in the brain and making a working model of the respiratory system. Mrs. Browne’s 5th and 6th grade technology class has been learning about design and engineering by working with EV3 Lego Robotics kits. We worked in six teams to build a basic driving robot and to program it to do various tasks such as move an object, stop at an object using an ultrasonic sensor and follow a line using a light/color sensor. We have recently changed groups and are working on a new challenge. Groups must design their own unique robot without building instructions to fulfill a design brief. The new groups are well on their way to completing their first brief which requires a robot that has wheels and can be programmed to drive one meter and display how far it traveled. The next challenge will have similar requirements, but will not be allowed to have wheels! Ask one of the students to tell you about or show you their designs! - Mrs. Browne

We have been working hard in 4th, 5th, and 6th grade! In Social Studies, we are learning all about Europe. We just learned about some native animals to Europe, and now we are learning about landmarks and landforms! Students are making postcards from a country of their choice and describing some landmarks and landforms associated with that European country. In Literacy, we are starting to focus on new writing prompts. For 5th grade, persuasive essays, and for 6th grade, personal narratives. We will continue our weekly routines like vocabulary, spelling, and reading as we learn how to draft, edit, and revise our writing prompts!

-Miss Crocker

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News from Grade 4 Math and Literacy:

Grade Four has been very busy since the last newsletter, in spite of the many weather interruptions.

We finally finished Fuzzy, our snack-time read aloud book. Many of us really enjoyed this science fiction book from this year’s Maine Student Book Award Nominations list. Any students who read at least three of the books on the list by March 31 get to vote in the state-wide election for their favorite of the year. All of us have already read at least two. There are only two more weeks to get a last book read.

We recently finished our literacy focus on different forms of exploration. Our new Journeys Big Idea is “Nature can amaze us.”

In math class we are learning about fractions and learning how to multiply multi-digit numbers. We have conquered addition and subtraction. The next mystery is who will be our first “Multiplication Master?”

~ Ms. Rose

Integrated Studies On Dr. Suess Day, the 4-6 Drama Club brought a smile to the faces of the lower grade students with a short readers’ theater skit of Green Eggs and Ham. This club has been a great way to try out original works, play games that stretch the imagination, and practice the art of dramatic presentation. Way to go, kids! Pre-K through gr. 6 students have enjoyed a ceramics unit in integrated studies. For some it was the first time modeling with clay. They used a genuine low-fire clay body and learned to make coils, pinch pots, and animals and after firing they painted them and added a gloss. - Robin MacCready

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2nd-grade swimThe Boothbay YMCA will be doing

Second Grade Swim with the Edgecomb School again this year!

For each swim lesson students will need to have:TowelBathing suitPony tails for students with hair shoulder length or longerSwim goggles - if you have themBag to carry the above items

Swimming will be on the following:Thursdays:4/54/12(4/19 No swim school vacation)4/265/35/105/175/24

Time:9:00 students use restroom gather swim "stuff"9:10 depart Edgecomb School via bus9:30 arrive and change at YMCA9:45 Swim lesson starts10:30 Swim lesson ends11:00 arrive back at school via bus

11:35 lunch at school.

Debbie Beam will accompany grade 2 to and from the YMCA on the bus.

Parents who would like are able to watch their children swim from the viewing area above the pool.

Please let me know if you have questions or concerns.Mrs. Currier2/3 Teacherscurrier@aos98schools.org

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Alli Guild, Myles Whitfield, and Alieu Dean presenting the models of lungs they made when studying the circulatory system in Mrs.

Currier’s 2nd and 3rd grade class.

On Thursday, March 15th, the Kindergarten and First Grade class participated in a FARMS cooking class in Damariscotta. First we covered some safety rules and instructions. We divided into 3 groups and prepared roasted vegetables, roasted beets, and coleslaw. While our food was cooking we read a story and had a tour of the Rising Tide Market. The tables were set and it was time to eat! Thanks to Jeff for driving us there and back and our parent volunteers, Krystle Hodgdon & Amanda Main. Special thanks to Karen Kleinkopf and her group of volunteers at the Farms Community Kitchen. A fun time was had by all preparing, cooking, and sharing. We also loved our performance of Green Eggs and Ham by Maeve & Ronan.

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Pre-K In the Prek classroom we kicked off March with Dr. Seuss Week! We started out our week reading One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish and Wocket In My Pocket. Students had fun with the rhyming nonsense words of Dr. Seuss! Then students enjoyed making their own "Wocket" for their pockets. We also did some graphing and coloring fish too! A big thank you to Jean Vose our Read Across America volunteer. She came and read stories to all the classrooms at EES, helping us to celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday!! This week we are enjoying the fresh snow outside on the playground and have returned to an all time favorite…sledding!! Back in the classroom we are working on writing our letters, recognizing and writing teen numbers, and playing with a new animal balancing/color game. In the next few weeks we will begin our Forest theme. We are hoping to have Tracy Hall from BRLT come to help us spend time outside learning all about the forest. Students will have a chance to look and touch real animal furs and learn what different animals leave for tracks when we borrow the nature box from the Maine Audubon. On March 19 we will visit the FARMS kitchen and have fun learning and cooking with fresh ingredients. March has certainly come in like a lion, but will hopefully go out like a lamb. Keep your eye on FB for fun updates about things happening at EES!

-Mrs. Casey

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Our first graders put on an amazing performance festival last week under the direction of Ms. McIvor and Mrs. MacCready. Great job, 1st grade!

Mayson explaining how folks could engage in imaginative outdoor play.

Stella, Gabriella, and Lilly-ann dance while Ethan demonstrates skateboard prowess in the

background.

Omar plays the djembe for the crowd.

A host of first graders dance for the merriment of the crowd and incorporate hula hooping.

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A fun time was had by all at our Family Fun night last Thursday. We were happy to see so many folks in attendance!

Special thanks to PTC representative Nicole Mckay and Krystle Hodgdon for your efforts in decorating, setting up the book fair, and organizing the potluck that folks contributed to.

Additional thanks to the Armstead family (see top left picture) for the outstanding cardboard artwork of Dr. Seuss characters that greatly added to the atmosphere of the event.