Harry Lee Cole School Blog

From Mr. Middleton-Cox 3/5/12

2012-03-06T19:21:00.001-05:00

A School Council is in place at the ColeSchool. As a part of the Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993, eachpublic school is required to maintain a School Site Council. The Council'spurpose is to provide for local decision making by providing support and adviceto the building principal. Councils are co-chaired by the principal and arecomposed of equal numbers of faculty and parents/community members. Parentrepresentatives are selected through an election run by the parentorganization. Each year the Site Council develops a school improvement planoutlining the goals for the coming year(s). These goals set the priorities forthe school in terms of resource allocation and focus. Copies of the plan areavailable in the school office. Each council holds monthly meetings that areopen to the public. We will be looking for three parent volunteers and onecommunity member for our Council for next year. If you are interested,please keep your eyes open for a message from the PTO, who will be holding anelection for parents to join the council. If you know of a communitymember (someone in Boxford without children currently at Cole), please let meknow.

On Tuesday, March 20th from 8:30-9:30am,I will host a Principal's Coffee in which I will address parents onitems happening in the Cole School Community. I invite all parents to join mein the Cole Conference Room during this time.

March is Nutrition Month and during mymorning meetings with the students, I will be focusing on nutrition topics. Our nurses, Mrs. Nechtem and Mrs. Mudgett will join me a few morningsduring the month to help support this important topic. This week during morningmeeting, I will be reading D.W. the Picky Eater by Marc Brown. D.W. is very picky about what she eats. She doesn't seem to likeanything. Her dining out days with her family are cut short when she refuses toeat her salad and flings it to the floor. Will her table manners improve intime for her Grandma Thora's special dinner out? We will read this storyand then talk about good food choices.

Kindergarten News

2012-03-06T19:20:00.003-05:00

On Monday, March 5th kindergartners werevisited by a dental hygienist to discuss healthy habits and care of their teethand gums. We encourage you to follow-up with your child and to provideassistance in the area of oral hygiene. At this young age, kindergartners oftenwant to be independent but need careful monitoring to be sure they are givingtheir teeth and gums the attention they need.

Currently students are rehearsing fortheir Expo to be held on Monday, March 19th. Please continue to follow the ColeConnection for more information.

The Kindergarten Team is looking forwardto the next round of parent conferences. You will receive your first writtenreport card prior to our conference and we encourage you to jot down anyquestions you might wish to remember so that any questions you may have may beaddressed. The report card is based on state standards and state and localbenchmarks for achievement. Our time will be limited and there is always somuch to look at and talk about. This is a great time to celebrate your child'sgrowth and achievement as well as to look forward to the remainder of theschool year.

We hope you are keeping up to date with yourkindergartner's classroom through paper newsletters, classroom web pages and/orblogs. We use these forms of communication to keep you updated on units ofstudy and to encourage your home/school dialogue with your child.

Physical Education News

2012-03-06T19:19:00.004-05:00

All of the second graders and multi-ageclasses have completed the "100 times around the gymrun". This run is 3 and ½ miles long. For all of those thatfinished this run CONGRATULATIONS; this is an amazing accomplishment forstudents at this age..

We've now begun our tumbling lessons.The students will learn the proper technique for forward rolls, backward rollsand cartwheels. Please remind them all to practice in safe areas.

In two weeks we will be climbing the ropes, which is adifficult skill for many. Only a small percent of the students are actuallyable to reach the highest levels. However it is an excellent chance for allstudents to develop their arm strength and exercise their bilateraldevelopment.

OT News

2012-03-06T19:19:00.001-05:00

Upper Body Strength and Stability

Postural control refers to the abilityto maintain an upright trunk position during seated tasks. This is an importantskill needed for developing fine motor skills. When postural control isadequate, the hands may be used effectively for working on tabletop tasks, suchas writing, coloring and cutting with scissors. The following are some"fun" activities for your child to promote strength and stability inthe shoulders, forearms, and trunk.

• While lying on your stomach, and proppedup on your elbows, read a book, work on puzzles, color, play video games orwatch T.V.

• Shoot baskets with all types of balls,play zoom ball, play tug of war.

• Push and pull each other while sittingon rolling chairs or stools.

• Draw, color or paint on a slanted orvertical surface, such as an easel, paper can be taped to a wall as well.

• Draw large shapes and pictures on achalkboard or whiteboard with both hands simultaneously.

A stable core provides a solid base ofsupport from which the arms and hands are free to move with precision andcontrol. This is an important component for having precise finger controlneeded when engaging in fine motor activities. Have Fun!!

Mary Gagliardi COTA/L

From Donna Morton, ELA Curriculum Specialist

2012-03-06T19:17:00.002-05:00

With Spring rapidly approaching, andbeing more than halfway through the school year, I find myself reflecting onthe past six months and my responsibilities at the Cole and SpoffordSchools. I would have to say that one part of the job that I have beenenjoying very much has been when I have been able to work directly in theclassroom with teachers and students. This work has been approached in acollaborative model, which allows me to really work side by side with teachersin mapping out and planning instruction that aligns with our curriculumguidelines and builds instructional practice in areas teachers are looking tofurther develop.

With the Tri-Town Writing Curriculumbeing newly implemented this year, it has been wonderful to be invited intoclassrooms to plan and model writing lessons and to be able to work closelywith teachers and students. The rewards for this collaborative work aregreat. Teachers are able to step back and reflect on the direction theirongoing instruction planning will take and, perhaps more importantly, thismodel presents the perfect opportunity to closely observe their students in thelearning process. Valuable information about how students take ininstruction can often help inform the classroom teacher going forward, towardsmeeting the needs of individual students. For me, the rewards are workingwith and getting to know students and being able to see, firsthand, the growththey are making. In addition, making connections with teachers and being ableto work together with them towards meeting curriculum goals, is buildingexpertise, not only for the teacher, but for me as well, as we learn from oneanother. I see that students also benefit from this model ofcollaborative professional development as they most always demonstrate anexcitement at having another adult care about the work they do. Thisseems to have a direct impact on many students in the level of motivation andengagement in their work.

Having come from working as a ReadingSpecialist I am always delighted to work with teachers in the area of reading,particularly in modeling small group instruction. Just recently I had theopportunity to work in a kindergarten classroom, working with the classroomteacher to determine areas of need and levels of ability and then demonstratingthree small group, guided reading lessons. It was such a joy to beworking with these young learners and equally enjoyable to be able tocollaborate with the teacher as she planned for meeting the next level ofreading in her classroom.

As we move into Spring, our principals, Mr.Middleton-Cox and Ms. Nikas, are very committed to growing this model ofcollaborative professional development at both the Harry Lee Cole and SpoffordPond Schools. With the school year progressing I look forward to continuing opportunitiesto be in classrooms, connecting with teachers, and getting to know students andthe work they do.

DASH Program News

2012-03-06T19:16:00.001-05:00

We need parent volunteers! Attention 2nd grade parents - DASH (DisabilityAwareness Starts Here) is coming soon! Sign up to be a DASH parent volunteer.

DASH is a parent-led program presented in the classroom to create awarenessand sensitivity about different disabilities through hands-on activities andsmall group discussions. The program begins in the 2nd grade with afocus on visual impairments and blindness. The program will start at the end ofMarch and run through the first weeks of April. Please look for the volunteersign-up letter that will be coming home with your child's specific classroomdates and times in the next few weeks. IMPORTANT: Because we will now havespecific classroom schedules, you will still need to respond to this lettereven if you signed up to be a volunteer at the Parent Open House in September.

In preparation for the program, please let the school nurse know of any newfood, environmental, or animal allergies that have developed in your child ofwhich the school may not be aware.

For more information, contact Donna Ellis at 978-352-4929. Check out ourwebsite at www.ttdash.org.

PTO Information

2012-03-06T19:15:00.003-05:00

It's Showtime! Talent Night at Cole on Friday,March 9th- 6:00pm

Cole's Got Talent and we have an incredible line-up of performances comingto the Cole cafeteria. More than 30 acts signed up for the night;children will be singing, dancing, performing magic, making music and muchmore. Bring your kids out for a star-studded evening to cheer on theirfriends or family as they hit the stage!

Only two weeks left to save on Cole yearbooks.

Pre-order by March 15th and only pay $20 per yearbook for a savingsof $5. After March 15, the price goes up to $25. To place an ordergo to www.coffeepond.com/order_yb3.aspx and use the password:cole1112.

Upcoming Dates:

March 23rd- X-Factor Talent Show at Spofford

April 4th- Last day to order Cole yearbooks

April 28th- Annual PTO Spring Fundraiser, night out for parents atthe Ferncroft Golf Club

June 14th- Boxford Family Pool Party at the Ferncroft pool complex

Cole School Book Club

2012-03-06T19:15:00.001-05:00

The Cole School Book Club has added 12 newmembers. Our newest members are Connor Pool, Bellatrix Delfino,Payton Easley, Gabrielle Oakes, Joseph Ellard, AlexandraWoodland, Gabriella Woodland, Andrew Mitchell, Will Caron, PearceDeal, Maguire Sturgis, and Mackenzie Zeeh. Thank youto their parents for their generosity.

Cole Parent Survey, March 2012

2012-03-02T08:05:00.004-05:00

The link below is a link for the 2012 Cole SchoolSurvey. The School Site Council has worked hard on developing goals forour school community to work on during this year and in the upcoming year. We would like your input on how we are doing and will take the data youprovide to continue to grow. The deadline date for the survey will beFriday, March 16, 2012 at 12:00pm. Thank you in advance for taking thetime to fill out this survey.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE COLE PARENT SURVEY

Thank you,

Mr. Middleton-Cox

Singing Away...

2012-03-01T14:09:00.003-05:00

Mrs. Rowen's Preschool students were preparing for a program for their families and they were singing favorite songs.

Art Class

2012-03-01T14:07:00.001-05:00

Students in Mrs. Dalton's art class were drawing tigers in a recent art lesson.

Sharing Our Writing

2012-03-01T14:05:00.002-05:00

This second grade student in Mrs. Puglisi's class was proud to share a piece of her writing with her classmates during a Writer's Workshop lesson.

Area in Grade 1

2012-03-01T14:00:00.001-05:00

Students in Mrs. York's 1st grade class were studying area in math. They were measuring the area with square inch tiles and half-inch tiles.

From Mr. Middleton-Cox 2-27-12

2012-02-26T14:56:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone had a great vacation week and that we are refreshed to start the next week.

The Boxford School Committee will have two open seats for the next term. If you are interested in running, please contact Town Hall to get the papers.

This week during morning meeting, I will be reading The Berenstain Bears and the Trouble at School by Stan and Jan Berenstain. While out of school for a few days with a cold, Brother Bear ignores his make-up work. And when he returns to class, he discovers the consequences of neglecting his responsibilities: he fails his division test. Grizzly Gramps helps Brother learn that it's never too late to correct a mistake.

Have a wonderful week!

From our Reading Teachers

2012-02-26T14:55:00.005-05:00

Oral language precedes written language, and it is important to remember that the skills your children need to communicate in print are similar to those they need to communicate orally. As children develop oral communication skills, they create background knowledge that they will bring to both reading and writing. You can do the following to support the literacy instruction that your children receive in school.

• Ask your children to tell you about the school day. Help them sequence events and relate experiences fluently, using transition words such as "first," "next," and "finally."

• Talk about school subjects and collect specialized vocabulary words such as "conifer" and "deciduous trees."

• Discuss similarities and differences between a book and a movie.

• Discuss current events when age appropriate.

• Model good listening and encourage your children to be respectful listeners.

• Encourage your children to respond to others' opinions, and help them to confidently express their own.

Remember, the aspects of literacy (speaking, reading, and writing) are interrelated, so as children develop skills and strategies in speaking, they will begin to make connections for application in reading and writing.

Art News

2012-02-26T14:55:00.002-05:00

Art Portfolios will be available to be picked up from the art room the

day of your child's EXPO following their musical performance in the

cafe.

EXPO dates:

Kindergarten: Monday, March 19

Grade 1: Friday, April 13

Grade 2 & Multi-age: Friday, June 1

Kindergarten:

Action Line Painting & Collage inspired by the book

"Little Green" by Keith Baker

After reading this book about a young artist painting the flight of a humming bird outside his window, students created their paintings using action brushstrokes and watercolors. Students identified shapes such as triangles, circles and ovals in creating their collage little green humming bird.

Grade 1:

Grade 1: "Dreamlike Dwellings"

Focus: architecture, geometric shapes, invention, technology, design

Media: marker, crayon, watercolor

Grade one students designed their own dream houses. The goal of this project was to create a structure that incorporated interesting form and useful function. After using pencil, rulers and tracers to draw their houses, color and texture were added using a crayon-watercolor resist technique.

Grade 2 & Multi-age:

"Japanese Tigers"

Focus: gesture drawing Media: pencil, watercolors

Grade two and multi-age students are learning about the art of Kawanabe Kuosai (Japanese 1831-99). For this drawing project we sketched four tiger gestures. After selecting one, students enlarged their drawings and added watercolor.

Nursing News

2012-02-26T14:52:00.003-05:00

We wanted to alert parents that we have 2 probable cases of Fifth's Disease at Cole. This illness is caused by a parvo virus and can have implications for pregnant women so please consider that when coming to the school. We also have a few cases of strep throat and conjunctivitis.

Lastly, we will be doing our annual Pennies for Patients drive beginning March 5th and ending March 23rd. We thank you in advance for supporting this fundraiser run by The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Cole School Nurses

ALA Book Awards Announced

2012-02-26T14:52:00.001-05:00

Below is a link for the ALA Book Awards:

http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/caldecottmedal/caldecottmedal

Have a great vacation!

2012-02-17T13:56:00.000-05:00

Have a wonderful winter vacation! If you are traveling, I wish you the best for safe travels. The Cole School will reopen on Monday, February 27, 2012.

Cole Students Skype to Spain

2012-02-17T13:54:00.000-05:00

Mrs. DeGeorge's daughter Sarah, a high school student at MASCO, is on an exchange trip to Spain. Some of our students had the wonderful opportunity of conversing with Sarah and her Spanish host student, Alberto. Mrs. Marcille helped to translate and this was a wonderful connection for our students.

North America

2012-02-17T13:29:00.000-05:00

Mrs. Barton's second grade students were busy working on their study of North America on a recent trip to the computer lab.

100 Laps in the Gym

2012-02-17T13:28:00.000-05:00

In an effort to promote health and wellness, our second grade and multiage students recently participated in the annual 100 lap run in honor of the 100th day of school. Students ran 100 laps around the gym which is 3.5 miles in length. Mrs. Costello, our Physical Education teacher, has been doing this for a number of years with the students. The energy and enthusiasm of the students is infectious and it creates a very positive atmosphere. I am so very proud of the students for their determination and hard work!!!

Massachusetts to get waivers from NCLB

2012-02-12T14:36:00.000-05:00

Massachusetts to get waivers from NCLB

From Mr. Middleton-Cox 2-13-12

2012-02-12T14:34:00.003-05:00

I would like to encourage you to begin checking the Cole School Blog at http://hlcoleschool.blogspot.com/ on a regular basis as I post much more information at that location than the newsletter allows. I view the blog as a "window" in to see the wonderful learning that occurs each day at the Cole School. As I do my walkthroughs through each classroom, I most often have my camera with me to capture the great teaching moments that happy all day. Please bookmark the site and share it with relatives from around the country and the world. As I write this, we've gotten over 4,000 hits on our blog. Check it out!

This week during Morning Meeting, our school nurses, Mrs. Necthem and Mrs. Mudgett, will be presenting all students with a program on the importance of hand-washing and proper cough etiquette.

Have a wonderful week!

Preschool News

2012-02-12T14:33:00.002-05:00

The preschool teachers would like to recognize and thank the preschool assistants for all of their hard work and dedication. In Mrs. Connery's class, Mrs. Joanne Parcellin is very caring, organized, and creative (she made the "bully-proof" vest that the children decorated.) Mrs. Toni Fitzgerald is very caring, observant, organized, and patient! They both have made such a positive impact in the classroom.

In Mrs. Rowen's classes, Mrs. Wendy Favazza is extremely organized, kind, and patient. Mrs. Graffeo is also very kind, very upbeat, and willing to do whatever is asked of her.

Ms. Brooke Reeve, who joined us in January, has made such a positive impact with the children. Brooke is always happy, kind, and looking for ways to help the children.

We would like to recognize the Lunch Buddies teachers, Barbara Cloonan and Patty Frizzell, too! Their dedication, happiness, organization, and carryover from the classrooms are so helpful to the staff and children. Thanks to all of you!

Mark your calendars for the March 27, (6:00-7:00 pm) Parent Show! This is a fun and adorable night of singing and poetry that is put on by the preschoolers!

This month, we will discuss a "healthy heart" and "dental hygiene" with activities and discussions for all the students. In gym, we are focusing on this theme using obstacle courses, relay races, and running games.

Spanish News

2012-02-12T14:32:00.000-05:00

2012 has begun with lots of activity in the Spanish room.

Students have been singing and dancing to learn about opposites and parts of the body. We do a bit of zumba style dancing with el Baile de las Manos - Dance of the Hands.

We also learned that Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes is a real mouthful in Spanish and that

Pelo, Pecho, Piernas y Pies (hair, chest, legs and feet) flows more easily.

We have been talking about the importance of making conexiones , and how that helps our brains grow.

Look for Spanish Valentines to come home.

~Sra. Marcille

Music Notes

2012-02-12T14:30:00.000-05:00

In kindergarten the students will be preparing for their EXPO performance on Monday March 19.

In first grade the students will be able to recognize and be able to perform "do" along with other pentatonic notes "la", "sol", and "mi".

In second grade and multi-age the students will be able to identify the letter names (A through G) of any note on the staff in treble clef.

First Grade News

2012-02-12T14:29:00.002-05:00

Happy February From First Grade!

February is a busy month in first grade. We just celebrated our 100th day of school on Wednesday, February 8th. Each classroom enjoyed many fun 100-day activities that included math as well as writing fun!

Valentine's Day will be celebrated on Tuesday, February 14th. Each classroom will enjoy activities they have planned as well as opening and reading their Valentines together.

Vacation is the week of February 20-24 with school resuming on February 27th.

Academic Practice To Go

If you find yourself traveling during the vacation consider bringing along a dry erase board, These handy boards make a great tool to practice spelling, writing, and math skills. It's a fun and challenging way to make up math word problems while on the go! Think about fair share problems for example: "Mom and I have 12 dollars. We want to share this money. How much money would we each get?" or "We have 12 dogs and want to get them new doghouses. The doghouses can only fit 2 dogs. How many doghouses will we need?" Children should be encouraged to show a picture of the problem AND write a number sentence that goes along with the story. Another fun math activity is writing down the numbers they see on license plates. Then, have them add the numbers to find the grand total. Make it a little more challenging by making the letters worth 5 or 10!

When writing on the go, challenge your child to brainstorm as many "rich" describing words about something you have seen or done on your adventures. Whether you are traveling or staying home for some quality family time, we hope you enjoy your family time of fun and learning!

March Conferences

Our March conferences are on Tuesday March 13th and Wednesday March 14th.If you have not already scheduled a March conference, watch for conference slips coming home in the next few weeks and information about specific conference times from your teacher. We look forward to seeing you then.

We hope you all have a safe and enjoyable February vacation!

The First Grade Team

Technology News

2012-02-12T14:26:00.001-05:00

This past fall, Boxford teachers had an opportunity to become students. They honed their Smartboard skills in one of two, 45-hour courses: Using Interactive Technology with a Projector and/or Smartboard, andTaking Smartboard Interactive Software to the Next Level.

They focused on strategies for whole class instruction, small groups, Smartboard techniques to inform instruction, and classroom management. Teachers created several lessons, aligned to curricular objectives in English/Language Arts, math, science, and social studies. Their exposure to best practices, and proven techniques has provided quality instruction using classroom Smartboards. Teachers shared new notebooks with each other to integrate technology into instructional practice.

Students are enjoying the results! Teachers will demonstrate their expertise for the rest of us during staff meetings.