Panda Press
September 29, 2023
Dear Thacher Families:
Two important reminders:
1. Tuesday is picture day! If your child is absent, we will have a make-up day in a few weeks.
2. Friday is an early release day with dismissal at 12:25 pm (no school ELC)
It was wonderful to see so many of you last night. It speaks volumes to the involvement of our families and the partnership we have forged to work together to do the best we possibly can for your children.
Also, I wanted to take the opportunity to remind our families that the Attleboro Public Schools adjusted the way attendance alerts are sent to a student’s contacts. Since last winter, the primary and secondary contacts for every student who is marked absent will receive a text and phone message. If you do not receive a message from the school, please reach out to the main office to confirm your mobile number is correct in our database. Alternatively, families may complete the “APS Student Contact Update” workflow in Aspen. Instructions on how to complete this workflow can be found here: https://5il.co/1ldxt . It is still important for families to call in when their child is going to be absent as it helps us keep track of unexcused tardies.
Sincerely,
Frank W. Rich
Principal
Feinstein Leadership School
Thacher & ELC Families,
Every year we participate in the Feinstein Jr. Scholar Program. Your child is receiving a Golden Ticket and a discount card from the Feinstein Foundation.
These Feinstein Jr. Scholar Golden Tickets give Jr. Scholars a chance to win $5,000 for their school, $500 for a non-profit organization of their choice AND other special prizes!
Thacher has had 2 Golden Tickets winners since the start of the program!!
Random drawing each Monday of 5 new Golden Ticket numbers- announced on WPRI Ch. 12, Mondays @ 4:30, Facebook and shared via email with every school.
Winning numbers are valid for the week of their posting.
Jr. Scholars with a winning ticket number should notify their school/teacher immediately to claim their prizes.
Students- Keep your Golden Ticket in a safe place during the 2023-24 school year.
Sincerely,
Jen Reilly, Library Paraprofessional/Feinstein Coordinator
Rooms Help for Families
The district is steadily making progress with helping families access Rooms. The District will be holding three help sessions during the month of October. Please register so we can plan appropriately for the events.
If you are having issues with the app, please try the following two websites for help:
If those don't help you get it straightened out, please contact the district's Instructional Technology Coordinate, Kim Janssen: (@Kimberly Janssen).
From the Music Room
Welcome all to music at Thacher! With this being our first music newsletter of the year, I thought it would be nice to give an overview of what it is that we “do” in music class:
Audiation: This is the most important concept of them all. When students are audiating, it means that they are thinking musically. When we are having a normal conversation, one person must speak, while the other person listens, and processes how best to respond. Skilled musicians will do the same thing with audiation… they listen and decide the best way to respond with their own music!
Rhythm: Rhythm is how long and short a musical sound is. In music class, we often perform chants (musical examples with no pitch) in order to focus on rhythms. Students will learn to audiate all sorts of rhythms by using rhythm patterns: they can echo the teacher, label a rhythm using rhythm syllables, write and read familiar or unfamiliar rhythms, or improvise their own rhythmic thoughts! Rhythms can also be grouped into many different kinds of meters like duple (where the beat is divided into two), triple (where the beat is divided into threes), or a combination of the two! Students will perform songs and chants in a variety of different meters.
Pitch: Pitch and rhythm have a very important relationship. While rhythm is how long and short a musical sound is, pitch shows us how high or low the sound is. When put together, pitches and rhythms make melodies! Just like with rhythm, students will learn to audiate all sorts of pitches by using tonal patterns: they can echo the teacher, label a tonal pattern using solfege syllables, write and read familiar or unfamiliar tonal patterns, or improvise their own tonal thoughts! Pitches can also be grouped into many different kinds of tonalities like major, minor, phrygian, mixolydian, and more! Students will perform songs in a variety of different tonalities.
Movement: Movement is fundamental to how we learn to audiate music. Students use continuous flowing movements to feel the space in between each beat, and they can also use movement to tap to different kinds of beats or rhythms. Movement can also help us feel the space in between pitches. We learn to move in personal and shared space, with a variety of motions like bending, curling, twisting, stretching, and we also learn to move in place or in locomotor motion (around the room). When we get really good, we can even learn group folk dances!
Instrument Performance: Students combine these skills to perform vocally and with instruments. Each class, students learn how to use their singing voices in a healthy and effective way and also receive opportunities to play a variety of instruments. In younger grades (K-2), we work our way through simple percussion instruments like egg shakers, rhythm sticks, triangles, cymbals, jingle bells, and scrapers before moving on to more complicated instruments like xylophones, metallophones, and glockenspiels. Third- and fourth-grade students also get the opportunity to play recorder, while fourth-graders take an additional music class: chorus. There are typically three chorus performances throughout the school year.
Content Knowledge: Students spend the majority of time learning to make and think about music, but it is also important for them to learn about music and how it connects to other topics in our daily lives. Students often receive background information on certain pieces of music. We talk about where certain songs come from, what their purpose is, any cultural significance they may have, and more.
A Great Time: With all this in mind, my greatest hope is that students are having some fun while learning about a very critical and important subject which will train their brains in ways no other school subject can (I have boring articles to send you if you doubt it)! While I can’t promise music will be all fun and games all the time, we certainly share laughter and fun often. See for yourself!
Please click the links below to see what we’ve been up to in music!
Kindergarten - Freeze Dance Movement Break
Musically yours,
Mr. Chippo, Music Teacher
Meet the Staff Mondays
PTO Updates
It was great to see so many people at this week's meeting. We hope you were as impressed with the ST Math presentation as we were and enjoyed trying out the puzzles as much as we did.
Upcoming Important Information & Dates
September 30: PTO Movie Night, 6:00 - 8:30 PM - CANCELLED!
October 3: Picture Day
October 6: Early Release Day
October 9: No School (Columbus Day)
October 16: School Council
Thacher Elementary School
Email: frich@attleboroschools.com
Website: http://tes.attleboroschools.com/
Location: 160 James Street, Attleboro, MA, USA
Phone: (508) 226-4162
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thacherelementary