April 6, 2023

We have started our MCAS testing for this year. All of our students are working hard during their test sessions. Recently we have had visits from 2 authors...Ralph Fletcher in Grade 4 and Brian Leas in Grade 1. Soule Farm has been visiting Mr. O'Brien's grade 5 and Miss Cronin's 4th grade class each Monday afternoon. The classes have met farm animals, learned about what they eat and fibers such as spinning wool. They worked outside with simple machines that we use everyday. The students also learned about seeds, soil, and planting. The students have also had the opportunity to walk to the high school to visit the MiLab space and work with power tools, hand tools, engrave on leather, view a 3D printer at work, and visit the greenhouse and how it works.

An important reminder that the MCAS testing starting on Thursday. It is important that our students arrive to school on time on the assigned testing days.

Reminder: No School Friday, April 7th

2023 MCAS Testing Schedule:

English Language Arts Grades 3 - 5

Session 2: April 12

Math Grades 3 - 5

Session 1: May 3

Session 2: May 11

Science Grade 5

Session 1: May 16

Session 2: May 18

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR INCLEMENT WEATHER: Please clink on the link below for important information regarding the procedures for the delay or cancellation of school.

https://www.smore.com/3c49z

Staff Spotlight: Mrs. Venini goes above and beyond every day at MKG. She is so friendly to staff and students every day. She worked hard to plan fun, engaging lessons for her students as well as organize amazing programs like the physical education student of the week. She works hard to help with the scheduling of specialists and is always willing to lend a helping hand taking club attendance or helping in town meetings. She has also gone above and beyond to help organize the 5th grade pool party to make sure our students don't miss out on this amazing opportunity. Every time you turn around Kelly is working on something to make MKG better. We are so lucky to have her!

It has been an exciting week in first grade! On Wednesday, we were visited by award winning author and illustrator Brian Lies! Brian is a local author who received the Caldecott Medal for the illustrations in his book The Rough Patch! Mr. Lies bat series is a favorite with our first graders! He taught our first graders that practice makes better and to keep trying when something seems hard! He showed students how he started with his writing and artwork and how he worked hard to become a published author! Here is a link to a few of his stories! We are sure students will be so excited to share the stories with you!

The Rough Patch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5d4a3cAU-k

Little Bat in Night School:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m17zk8rycrk

Bats at the Beach:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5TZYFyD0Sg

Our first graders have been reading a lot and noticing what authors do to keep the reader interested. Our first graders are incorporating many of these elements into their bookmaking too! They are adding labels, sound effects, ellipses to keep the reader in suspense, big and bold print just to name a few!!

In math, we continue to work on addition to twenty using different strategies. This week we have been using the strategies counting on, doubles, doubles plus 1, and doubles plus 2 to solve problems. Using these strategies to solve problems helps students become more fluent with facts through 20.

In Science we are learning about light! Light is energy that travels in a straight line! We are learning about natural light such as the sun and artificial light like ipads and light bulbs! We are learning important vocabulary related to light such as transparent, translucent, opaque, reflection, and refraction! Enjoy the long weekend!

For a short week, it has been busy in Second Grade. Students learned about neurodiversity during morning meetings this week as we celebrated World Autism Day on Monday, April 3.

In math, students are learning about the different units of measurement, such as meters, centimeters, yards, feet, and inches. They are also learning how to add and subtract certain measurements in word problems. Be sure to ask your child about how many feet make up a yard, as well as how many centimeters are in one meter.

In Reading and Writing, some classes are finishing up the Realistic Fiction unit and others are beginning the Poetry unit. Students will learn about the various types of poetry in the coming weeks, such as shape poems, haiku, and sandwich, as well as poetry features, such as alliteration and onomatopoeia.

It is very important that students remember to practice their math facts nightly. This routine will help students when they continue to add and subtract larger numbers, such as 3-digit numbers. Also, it is very important to read each night. Lastly, as we all know, the weather in New England can change quickly, so it is important to be prepared for iffy weather. Please have your child continue to bring in a coat or heavy sweatshirt this month as we go outside unless it is below 27*F.

Thank you so much for continuing to support your students’ learning this year.

Congratulations to our terrific third graders for completing their first MCAS assessment! We are so proud of their perseverance and positive attitudes. Way to go! ELA Session 2 will be held on Wednesday, April 12th. Math Sessions will be held on May 3rd and May 11th. Keep up the great work!

We are eagerly awaiting our performances of the third grade play, Dinostars! Thank you to our music teachers, Ms. Fantasia and Ms. Roy, for making this such an educational, fun, and memorable experience! On the night of their performance, students should report to the music room at 6pm. The performance will begin promptly at 6:30pm in the HBB Auditorium. Admission is free, and all are welcome!

The show dates are as follows:

April 27th: Mrs. Magnett & Mrs. Smith

May 1st: Mrs. Silva & Mrs. Maietta

May 9th: Mrs. Holmes & Mrs. Cornell

Our 4th graders worked hard on the first session of ELA MCAS this week. One more day next Wednesday and ELA MCAS will be done for this year. We will have two days of math MCAS in May.

The permission slip and $15 money order for our 4th grade field trip to Barney’s Joy in Dartmouth were already due. If your child has not returned them, please do so as soon as possible. We are lucky to be able to explore the beautiful private beach habitats as well as study animals’ structures and survival in their environments!!

As we know, Spring in New England is quite fickle!! Please have your child dress in layers as sometimes the afternoon temperature is very different from the morning. Also, please be sure your child has a water bottle as there are no traditional “bubblers” anymore, only water filling stations. Cups are not supplied for drinks.

Have a great long weekend!!

“A flower blooms for its own joy.”

~ Oscar Wilde

Grade 5 students have been gearing up for the first ELA MCAS test. They have been practicing the strategy of R.A.C.E.S. to answer essay questions (Restate the question - Answer the question - Cite evidence from the text to support the answer - Explain how the evidence supports your thinking - Sum it up by restating the question with the answer). They showed their best thinking and behavior throughout the first ELA test and plan to do the same for next Wednesday’s final ELA test.

Last week’s winning class for the Golden Spatula Award for great cafeteria behavior was Mrs. Marinelli’s class. Way to go, kids!

The after school math program Rotary Rays finished up with showing enhanced math thinking. They worked very hard to increase their previous learnings and to complete some pre-learning of skills that haven't been taught yet in fifth grade.

So many students participated in the 5th Grade Pool Party on Wednesday. The students were so excited to have an opportunity to use the pool with their friends. Each child had to prove they could swim across the pool, without needing a break, to be allowed to jump off the diving boards in the deep end. The lines of accomplished swimmers were long, but moved quickly with safety in mind.

As much as it feels like spring is here to stay, the weather isn’t always warm outside, especially when the winds are whipping around the playground. Physical Education classes are also taking place outdoors on any weather permitting days. Please remind your child that it is still coat weather at 9:30 in the morning. Also, with the coming of spring, it is allergy season. Your child’s teacher would welcome a box or two of facial tissues.

Hello students and families! We have been starting to enjoy the nice weather again in physical education! Ms. Venini’s classes are finishing up with their introduction to lacrosse skills and games and will begin their gymnastics units starting next Tuesday. For gymnastics, students will be introduced to the basic skill categories including rolling, jumping and landing, vaulting, hands and feet travels and balancing. The younger grades will focus on connecting 2 or 3 skills together to create short sequences individually whereas the older students will culminate the unit with small group performances where several skills are put together into a sequence that flows from one move to the next. All the grades will begin the unit learning the skills on mats and will gradually advance to adding various equipment. For this unit, students are invited to participate in sneakers, barefoot or in socks that have grips on the bottom, as in the ones they get at trampoline parks.

Mrs. Young’s classes are completing their cricket and batting/kickball units and have learned a lot about the differences between cricket and baseball/softball. Mrs. Young’s 4th and 5th grade classes will be doing their introduction to rugby unit also starting on Tuesday next week. Students will learn the basics to flag rugby including the proper throwing technique, the correct way to move down the field, and the different ways to score points. Mrs. Young’s 1st-3rd grade classes will be learning how to play physical education versions of various backyard games including cornhole, bocce and frisbee games. Most of these games will focus on students using proper techniques to aim at a target to score points against their opponent(s). Sportsmanship is a big focus with this unit as students are encouraged to play the games for fun and with a healthy level of competition.

We wanted to thank our fifth graders for a very fun and successful pool party! We were very impressed with their behaviors and hope that they enjoyed finally getting to swim in the pool! As a reminder, the fifth grade students will be watching the “Growing Up” videos on 4/10 and 4/11 next week unless their parent or guardian has opted out of the lesson.

Keep up the great work in PE as we approach the end of another wonderful school year! We hope everyone can get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather!