Conferences
Parent-teacher conferences will be held at the beginning of March. We are moving to all in person conferences but if you need to have a virtual conference please reach out to that teacher(s) directly.
If you are a parent with more than one child at Boyden, please allow for at least 10 minutes between your conferences. We have found that back-to-back conferences do not allow for travel from classroom to classroom.
If you have a Grade 5 student please sign up with their HOMEROOM TEACHER ONLY.
Click on the day you would like to attend and sign up with each teacher you would like to meet with. All our classroom teachers and specialists are listed (please note the times). The links will close on Sunday night.
Battle of the Books
We had our second group Battle of the Books meeting this week. The students learned about teamwork and then worked together to come up with a team name, logo and/or a team color. The students are excited and are continueing to read to be ready for the battle. In April, teams will gather for Battle Day where they compete against each other in a friendly battle of book trivia.
We encourage you learn more about this program and how you can support your child by visiting the Battle of the Books website.
Thank you to our sponsors Boyden PAC, Dedham Savings and Walpole Co-operative for supporting the program
News from the Digital Learning Coach
Over the last couple weeks (and in the upcoming weeks) the students have been learning about the “Online Tracks” that digital users leave behind. S
tudents in K-2 learn alongside their monster friend, ‘Bean’ (from Seesaw) by helping him make decisions on how to leave a “positive digital footprint”. A digital footprint is a record of data that one leaves behind when using the internet. It could include websites visited, comments posted to social media sites and other online activities. It is important to educate even our youngest students as they are already building their digital footprint.
Grade 3 students are learning about the “power of our words.” This fits in nicely with Kindness Week. Students are thinking about how they can leave a positive footprint when interacting with others, especially when playing online games with others and when communicating via other platforms. Learning to be mindful about the choices we make with our words applies whether we are in an online setting or offline.
Grade 4 students are also examining online footprints using scenarios with one of Commonsense Education’s DigiCitizen, Feet! Looking at multiple situations, fourth graders discuss whether or not Feet is in control of his online presence and his digital footprint.
Grade 5 students have been discussing Social Media and their Digital Footprints. We explored some of the good things and some of the problems of using social media. One of the takeaways in this lesson is that ‘nothing is really private’ online and the idea of protecting one’s reputation.
Each of the lessons provide opportunities for students to think about, discuss and engage in some real world content.
Math News
With February Vacation next week, your students may be looking for some fun ways to fill their time, and you may be looking for something that is not on a screen! Board games are a fantastic way to build number sense and math skills while having fun! A compilation of research that explored relationships between playing board games and mathematical knowledge and numerical skills found significant gains in 52% of the tasks analyzed. When comparing the intervention group and the control group, there were significant positive differences in 32% of the cases (Ballardes, July 2023). Board games provide an engaging, fun atmosphere, boost critical thinking, enhance number recognition, and offer flexible learning opportunities.
So, what are some of the best games? Well, many of us grew up with Monopoly of course, the board with 10 spaces on each side, adding and subtracting different amounts of money, etc., so it is no surprise that it is number 1 on many lists. Here is a Top 20 list of the best board games to enhance your child’s math abilities. Artful Math offers some tips to look for when choosing a math board game to play-find one that all players can win and that helps all kids practice and improve while playing. If just the fastest or the most skilled player is going to win, it can be frustrating. That would negate the last tip of choosing one kids will LOVE! You want to hear them laughing and having fun while playing. This top list focuses on games for specific grade levels. Finally, our Family Math Website has this list of Family Board Games that you might enjoy. You probably already have some of these games in a closet somewhere, so dust them off, take a break from screens and enjoy some good, “old-fashioned” fun while growing your math brain at the same time!
Attention Grade 3-5 Families
The Boyden PAC is excited to partner with WHS Boys Varsity Head Coach Jenna Galster and members of both the Varsity Boys and Girls Basketball teams for an afterschool basketball skills clinic. We are so excited to bring this amazing opportunity to the Boyden Students in Grades 3-5. To allow the maximum of students to participate in this clinic there will be two sessions. At this time you are only allowed to sign up for ONE session. Each session is LIMITED to the first 50 students.
- Session # 1 - Tuesday, April 2, 2024, 3:25 - 4:45 pm
- Session # 2 - Tuesday, April 9, 2024, 3:25 - 4:45 pm
The session is $25 per student. Please wait for a confirmation email from Boyden PAC before payment to Boyden PAC. Any questions please contact Boydenpac@gmail.com
- Click the link to REGISTER https://forms.gle/636eWko6jAAQyxZq6
We look forward to continuing to grow this partnership with WHS Basketball teams to bring more exciting clinics in the future!
Boyden Night at the Providence Bruins
On March 24th, join The Boyden School for a night with the Providence Bruins! All kids, family members, and friends receive this exclusive discounted offer. Everyone's ticket for this event is just $25 per person. You will receive great seats and you will receive a FREE P-BRUINS HAT!
NEXT MEETING: Wednesday, March 13th at 7:00 PM in the Media Center
Walpole Wheel of Fortune
If you aren't a member of the Walpole Wheel of Fortune Facebook page, join us! The Wheel is a fundraising page managed by the Boyden PAC where items are raffled to raise funds for the school. Raffles will be held weekly on Wednesday or Thursday nights.
Important Dates
February 19th - 23rd - No school (Vacation)
March 6th - Parent Teacher Conferences (5:00-7:00 PM)
March 8th - Early Release (12:25 Dismissal)
March 13th - PAC Meeting (7:00 PM)
March 14th - Parent Teacher Conferences (5:00 - 7:00 PM)
March 15th - School Store (Grades 1-5)
March 22nd - Early Release (12:25 Dismissal)
March 29th - No School - Day of Low Attendance
Click Here for the Walpole Public Schools School Year Calendar
