Pond Cove Principal's Notes

May 1 - 5, 2023

Hello Pond Covers!

Happy May Day! This is one of my favorite days of the year because it brings the tradition of sharing with others baskets filled with flowers or treats. In Europe, May Day is similar to our Labor Day celebration, which historically included dancing around Maypoles and other spring-esque events.

In May we honor Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage/History and celebrate Mother's Day and Memorial Day. We also have several upcoming school events that you'll want to add to your calendars. While there will be a lot of information coming your way this month, we will continue to share these messages to acknowledge and learn more about various people and our collective history. This is a simple yet important part of our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work. Thank you for taking the time to read these messages and learn along with us.

Have a wonderful week!

Sarah

Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage/History Month

According to the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the United States has celebrated Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month since 1990 to acknowledge "the achievements and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in the United States". May was chosen to commemorate the "arrival of the first Japanese immigrant to the United States on May 7, 1843, as well as the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869".

Texas A&M professor Vanita Reddy stated, "AAPI Heritage Month often looks like celebrating Asian and Asian American cultural differences rather than fighting for Asian American racial justice, and that can often blind us from ongoing racial injustice." (Understanding Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, May 24, 2021). This is poignant; a reminder that AAPI history is our collective history and the choices we make today have power to move us forward in achieving greater racial justice.

AAPI History Highlight: Wong Kim Ark

Wong Kim Ark was born in San Francisco, California to parents who were immigrants from China. Wong returned to China several times to visit family and was allowed to return to the United States. On one occasion in 1894, however, he was denied reentry based on the claim that he was not a citizen of the country. This was not unusual at the time because most Chinese citizens were not allowed into the U.S. due to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which permitted a ten-year ban on Chinese laborers immigrating to the country. Yet it was in conflict with the Fourteenth Amendment of the US Constitution.

Wong chose to take his case to court while he was detained on a series of steamships off the coast of San Francisco. "His case eventually reached the Supreme Court, which ruled in his favor in 1898, reaffirming the Fourteenth Amendment’s declaration that 'All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.'" (Smithsonian Magazine).

The video below shares more details and is worth the watch.

Reading Instruction at Pond Cove

It has come to my attention that some members of our parent community may not know that we teach phonics explicitly at Pond Cove, which has caused me to realize we need to share more information. In response to this, I would like to share insights about the current literacy programs used at Pond Cove.

There are many schools of thought about how to educate children in reading, and each has its strengths and areas for improvement. The Lucy Calkins Units of Study is an evidence-based and well-researched program that started at Columbia University, which is currently ranked the seventh highest school of education in the U.S. We utilize this program because it has strong merit and legitimacy. Lucy has just recently rewritten her reading curriculum to more fully embrace phonics and the science of reading. We are in the process of replacing all of our materials with the updated versions. In addition to using the Lucy Calkins Units of Study for reading and writing, we also explicitly teach phonics using Lucy Calkins, Heggerty, Wilson, Reading Recovery, Orton Gillingham, and the University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI) Foundations program. Most important and above all is the expertise and skill of the educator using any program. We provide ongoing professional learning opportunities for our teachers in a variety of ways so they are empowered to take any curriculum and provide our students with the best possible reading instruction.

The questions, thoughts, and wonderings shared with me about whether we teach phonics has been a source of reflection. It is important for all of us - parents, staff, and community members alike - to know that our programs at Pond Cove meet the reading needs of our students. We supplement with additional resources in unique cases when students need something different. We are continuously working to adjust and improve. Next year, we will begin a districtwide professional review of the K-12 English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum in Cape Elizabeth. We all look forward to what we will learn and gain from this process.

Important Updates

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Visiting Authors

On May 18 and 19, we will welcome children’s book creators Christopher Denise and Anika Aldumuy-Denise to inspire and delight the students of Pond Cove School. Christopher is the illustrator of over twenty books. His author-illustrator debut The Knight Owl won a Caldecott Honor in January, is a NYT Bestseller and, more importantly, is a Pond Cove favorite across grades. Christopher is married to Anika Aldamuy Denise, also an award-winning picture-book author. Known especially for books that highlight Puerto Rican and Latinx culture, Anika's writing always has a wonderful sparkle that children love. Students will go behind the scenes with Chris and Anika, learning secrets of visual and written storytelling, creating beloved characters, and how to shape ideas. This creative couple resides in Rhode Island with their three children, and we’re grateful to CEEF, PCPA, and CESD for sponsoring what is sure to be a wonderful visit.

Prior to their visit, the Denises’ books will be available for purchase through cooperation with Nonesuch Books. The authors will sign and personalize books, which we’ll deliver to classrooms shortly after the visit. Nonesuch will donate 15% of proceeds to the Pond Cove Library, supporting future visiting authors and/or building our collection. Look for details and fliers soon!

Reminder About Dismissal Changes

It is essential that the main office receive any daily dismissal changes by 11:00 AM each day. Having this information by that time prevents us from having to interrupt classes to make sure children know the plan. It also allows for a smooth dismissal as the administrative assistants are not inundated with phone calls at the end of the day and can focus on helping children exit the building.

Lost and Found

Our lost and found has grown exponentially! If you have a moment, please come by the building after dismissal to claim any items that belong to your child(ren). Leftover items will be removed from Pond Cove if not picked up by Friday, May 26.

CELT Collaboration

Jill Darling is serving as a liaison for the Cape Elizabeth Land Trust (CELT) Education Committee and has facilitated several elementary school programs at Pond Cove on their behalf. The following opportunities have been or will be provided to Pond Cove students as a result of her dedication.

1st Grade: Students will visit Great Pond this week and learn about signs of spring and pollination. This is a follow up to the trip children made this winter, which will provide them with an opportunity to observe changes between the seasons.

2nd Grade: Students will participate in a seed lesson to learn about plants and seed dispersal in a hands on planting activity, followed by a field trip to Robinson Woods.

4th Grade: Students will visit Robinson Woods for a Nature Walk to learn about wildflowers, vernal pools, and food webs. This particular program has been running for over two decades!

We so appreciate our partnership with CELT and look forward to working with students to get out outside and enjoy nature.

Cape Elizabeth Awarded 2023 Best Communities for Music Education

For the eighth year in a row, the Cape Elizabeth School Department has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from the NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education. The Best Communities Music Education designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students. Districts that have been recognized by the NAMM Foundation are often held up as models for other school districts and educators looking to improve their own music education programs.

The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants and its approximately 15,000 members around the world. The foundation advances active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving and public service programs. The complete list of the 2023 NAMM Foundation Best Communities for Music Education can be found here.

Congratulations to Becky Bean and her team!

What's Happening at Pond Cove

Pond Cove Staff Bowling Night at Bayside Bowl!

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4th Grade Maps

Mrs. Tweedie's fourth grade student, Strand, submitted his map of Maine to a map-making contest sponsored by Osher!

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Maps of Maine

Eve, also in Mrs. Tweedie's class, entered her map into the same Osher map contest!

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One Person Show Project

Marie Curie (left, Suzanna) and Eleanor Roosevelt (right, Irena) visited Mrs. Whitaker’s class to teach about themselves for the “One Person Show” project.

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Rainy Day Worm Soup

Second grade students pretend to make soup with worms. (No worms were injured in the making of this recipe.)

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Playground Pick-Up

Second graders use part of their recess to clean up the playground.

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Basket Making

Students in Mrs. Whitaker’s 4th grade class enjoyed a day of basket making and learning about the history of basket making across cultures with visiting artist Towanda Brown. Thank you to the PCPA and CEEF for their generous support of this project!

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Spanish Conversation Practice

Students from Mrs. Forsyth's third grade class practice French conversation in pajamas on Cozy Up and Read Day.

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Visit to Flatbread!

Mrs. Bucci's 4th grade class visited Flatbread to learn more about running a restaurant and what goes into making pizzas.

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Exploring the Wharf in Portland

Mrs. Bucci's class ventured out to explore the Wharf after learning all about Flatbread.

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Pre-Cleaning the Playground

Fourth Graders from Ms. Tweedie's and Mrs. Bucci's classes cleaned up the playground to prepare for the Sunday playground clean-up work!

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More Pre-Cleaning

Dates to Remember

Monday, May 8 - Friday, May 12

Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week

Monday, May 8

2nd Grade Music Concert (Harrington)
11:00 AM - Community Center Community Room

Tuesday, May 9

2nd Grade Music Concert (Gallant)