Monday, October 30, 2017

Lowell School Newsletter

This Week’s Featured Event

Kindergarten will hold their Annual Halloween Parade

Tuesday, October 31st

November 2, 2017

7:00 - 8:00 PM

Lowell School Site Council Agenda

Introductions

Vote on School Council Positions

Review School Improvement Plan for SY 2017/2018

Plan Agendas for the year

Title 1 and ELL forums

CIT and emergency procedures

Open Forum 10 minutes

The week’s language of the week will be Cantonese.

Good Morning translates to “Zho Suhn”

___________________________________________________

Greetings Lowell School,

Since the school year began we’ve had increasing difficulties with lunch and lunchroom behavior. The two lunch periods experiencing difficulty are the 4 / 5 and 2 /3 period. Students have been getting up out of their seats, running from table to table, yelling to one another, and putting their hands on each other. The lunch aides and the food service staff have tried very hard to redirect students. They have reminded students daily about proper lunchroom behavior. We’ve even tried incentives, such as “Free Sit Fridays” (if they have a good lunch periods Monday thru Thursday they will earn the right to sit anywhere in the cafeteria with their friends) all in hopes of motivating them. However, we continue to have issues. Most recently the first grade teachers brought to my attention a problem with older students using the first grade bathrooms. They said there were a number of incidents that have taken place lately. The girls bathroom has had the toilets stuffed with paper, which has lead to overflowing toilets. We’ve had bathroom doors locked from the inside, causing little ones to crawl under the doors to gain access. The bathrooms are not monitored during lunch. The current staffing does not allow for hall and bathroom monitors. This is not new, but the incidents are.

Today, we told students the bathrooms would not be accessible during lunch. They could go directly after lunch but not during lunch because of the issues we’ve experienced and the lack of supervision. This was a mistake on my part, because it has been brought to my attention a few students felt punished by this message. Some even wanted to use the bathroom during lunch and were asked to wait. This was not my intent.

I am trying to work on staffing changes which might free up a staff member to supervise the first floor bathrooms and hallway. My first concern is safety for all children. It’s upsetting to hear little ones are crawling on the floor to use the bathroom. The constant stream of students coming and going from our cafeteria has been dizzying. While their out of the cafeteria they are not supervised, this concerns me. I will work on the staffing. In the meantime bathroom will be available to students.

After today’s lunch, Mr. Roberts sent an email to the staff asking them to bring students to the bathroom before lunch and allow them to use the bathroom after lunch. Students will be allowed to go to the bathroom one at a time during lunch.

Today, we also restated our expectations for lunchroom behavior. At the beginning of lunch we reviewed the rules.

1) they would be called by table to buy lunch/snack

2) they could talk to their friends using indoor voices

3) they needed to remain seated during lunch unless they were given permission to get up

4) If they needed to get up for anything they should raise their hand and ask an adult permission.

These are not new rules, they are the same rules Lowell has always had.

We explained to them, if they don’t follow the rules their names would be written on the board and your parents will be notified. No one’s name was written on the board today.

Often times the good children lose privileges because of the actions of a few. We don’t want to punish the students who are following the rules. They deserve to sit with their friends and enjoy lunch. Lunch should be an enjoyable time of day for the staff and our children.

On another note, one of our school improvement goals this school year is focused on increasing awareness and understanding of diverse learners and diversity. Parents and teachers often ask for books to help teach these themes. Here is a list of picture books which engage children about topics such as, bullying and diversity.

A picture books can be a powerful tool when teaching complex material. Young children listen closely to our words. Let’s choose the best words and pictures when teaching. Your support is alway appreciated at school.

Mrs. Phelan

Books to Engage Students on Bullying and Diversity

Download PDF

Picture Books

Be Who You Are. Todd Parr. (Pre-K – K) With Parr’s signature silly and accessible style, Parr encourages readers to embrace all their unique qualities – reminding them that their unique traits are what make them so special.

Big Bob, Little Bob. James Howe. (Pre-K – 2) Despite the fact that they share a name, they are different. Big Bob likes trucks and throwing balls and being loud. Little Bob likes dolls and jingling bracelets and being quiet. Yet, they become friends. When a neighbor teases Little Bob about dolls, Big Bob steps in with “Boys can do whatever they want.”

Crow Boy. Taro Yashima. (1 – 5) Chibi is an outcast at school because he is different. Day after day, Chibi is faced with feelings of isolation and rejection, but a kind teacher appreciates his unique talents and helps him gain acceptance.

Desmond and the Very Mean Word: A Story of Forgiveness. Desmond Tutu and Douglas Abrams. (K – 3) Based on a true story from Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s childhood. As a child, when he took his new bicycle out for a ride through his neighborhood, his pride and joy turned to hurt and anger when a group of boys shouted a very mean word at him.

Each Kindness. Jacqueline Woodson. (1 – 3) Every time Maya tries to join Chloe and her friends, they reject her. Eventually she stops coming to school. When Chloe's teacher gives a lesson about how even small acts of kindness can change the world, Chloe is stung by the lost opportunity for friendship.

The Invisible Boy. Trudy Ludwig. (K – 3) Nobody ever seems to notice Brian or think to include him in their group, game, or birthday party . . . until, that is, a new kid comes to class.

Jacob’s New Dress. Sarah and Ian Hoffman. (Pre-K – 2) Jacob loves playing dress-up, when he can be anything he wants to be. Some kids at school say he can't wear "girl" clothes, but Jacob wants to wear a dress. Can he convince his parents to let him wear what he wants?

Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match / Marisol McDonald no combina. Monica Brown. (K – 2) Marisol, a multiracial girl, loves to be creative, eating peanut butter and jelly burritos, for example. But at times she is misunderstood and teased by peers. Bilingual.

Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress. Christine Baldacchino. (Pre-K – 2) Morris loves wearing the tangerine dress in the dress-up center, but the others don’t understand. One day when Morris feels all alone and sick from their taunts, he stays home. With help from his mom and his imagination, he returns to school and begins to connect with others.

Muskrat Will Be Swimming. Cheryl Savageau. (2 – 4) A Native American girl’s feelings are hurt when classmates make fun of the children who live at the lake, but then her grampa tells her a Seneca folktale that reminds her how much she appreciates her home and her place in the world.

For more information click link below:

http://www.welcomingschools.org/pages/books-to-engage-students-on-bullying

We are continuing to collect items for Helping Hands for Puerto Rico

Here are suggested items:

Batteries, flashlights, water purifying tablets, first aid kits, bandages, small tool kits, hygiene products, sewing kits, small fire extinguishers, manual can openers, wrenches to turn off gas lines, battery-operated radios, garbage bags, dish soap, disinfectant, paper cups, plates, napkins, latex gloves and work gloves, baby wipes, sterile eye wash, sun screen, hand sanitizer, antibiotic ointment, adhesive tape and prepackaged tarps

THIS WEEK’S

Monday, October 23, 2017

Lowell School Newsletter

This Week’s Featured Event

Lowell’s PTO Presents

Halloween Party

Friday, October 27th

Lowell School

6:30 - 8:00 pm

Dear Parents and Guardians,

This letter is to inform you that Lowell School’s off-site evacuation drill was successful. The students and staff followed all safety procedures as instructed. These practice drills was two of 4 emergency drills our school is required to perform during the school year as part of our District-wide Emergency Response Plan. This plan would be implemented in the event of a local disaster or school emergency. The Emergency Response Plan is a preparatory measure. Statistics show schools are still among the safe places to be on a day-to- day basis, due to the strong commitment of educators, parents, and communities to their children. Nevertheless, disasters do happen and, because of that, no community can be complacent in its efforts to make its schools even safer. For this reason, we have implemented the Plan, so please do not be alarmed by this precautionary action.

Drills

Although it is unlikely that the Emergency Response Plan will need to be fully activated at Lowell, the possibility still exists. Therefore, to prepare all members of the school community, including your child, to act on a moments’ notice, we will be conducting emergency practice drills at the school. These drills, which will occur on a periodic basis throughout the year, will cover a variety of circumstances. In addition to practicing the drills, we will also be discussing with the students the appropriate actions to take during a number of emergencies. These drills and accompanying discussions are designed to prepare your child to act quickly and to minimize your child’s fear should an emergency occur.

Parent-Child Reunification Center

The Emergency Response Plan also incorporates a systematic approach to reuniting children with their parents. The plan identifies one site for the Parent-Child Reunion. Lowell School’s Center is the Watertown Department for Public Works facility located on 124 Orchard Street next to Victory Field. This location is activated only when the school premises must be evacuated. Should it be necessary to activate an Off-Site Evacuation, you will be notified via the school’s mass communication system School Messenger.

Reuniting with Your Child

In order to ensure your child’s safety, it is necessary for us to establish some protocols related to picking up your child. Therefore, please be advised of the following guidelines when picking up your child from

the reunification center.

School Emergency Procedures

• No student will be released unless you or an individual designated on the student dismissal plan or emergency contact information arrives to pick up that student. It is critical that the information and phone

numbers on your child’s emergency information sheet is current. We will be using this information to contact you through the District’s mass communication system with the evacuation

process for picking up your child.

• You will be required to present valid identification. This step is required to protect your child from

any unauthorized individuals attempting to pick up your child.

• You will be required to sign for the release of your child. This is extremely important as it is our

only means of ensuring that all students are accounted for at all times. Please do not just take your

child from the center without signing for their release. We recognize that you may be worried and

want to be reunited with your child as quickly as possible. However, this system has been established

to ensure your child’s safety.

• Should our normal transportation system be unable to transport your child home, your child will be

kept at the unification center. until such time as you can arrange to pick them up. If you are unable to pick up your child, he/she will be kept at 124 Orchard Street. until alternate arrangements can be made. Your child will be supervised at all times.

Keeping Informed During an Emergency

During a real emergency, you probably will not be able to reach the school by phone, as staff will be busy

responding to the emergency and the needs of the students. We will, however, make every effort to

contact parents, either directly, or through the District’s mass communication system.

Finally, I want thank the Watertown Police and Fire Department for all their guidance and assistance. I especially want to thank Sgt. Demos, Lt. Unsworth, Ofc. Kelley, Ofc. Colon, Ofc. Doss, and Ofc. Comick for their constant support in planning and executing emergency drills. As always, should you have any questions or concerns regarding anything stated in this letter, please feel free to contact Veronica Knight, Hope Nataro or me directly.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Phelan

Social Media and Children

This past Friday, I had the opportunity to speak with parents of fifth graders during my coffee. One topic we discussed was the growing concern parents have for their children with regards to social media. This year our students in grade K - 5 will be given direct instruction during their Library/Media block. Instruction will focus on the proper use technology and social media. We are also looking into offering other forums to bring awareness to this topic.

I have recently come across two informative resources concerning social media and the effects on children. I’m sharing them you here. They are both geared to older elementary students and middle schoolers. However, if you start the conversations when they’re young you have the greatest impact.

CNN reporter Anderson Cooper explores the “Inside the Secret World of Teens”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-9LtTtkg04

Article from The Atlantic: Have Smart Phones Destroyed a Generation

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/has-the-smartphone-destroyed-a-generation/534198/

Please give Ms. McDonough a high five! Ms. McDonough recently earned funding at DonorsChoose.org for a classroom project called “Headphones Help Our Technology Use!”

A round of applause to... Ms. Masters who recently earned funding for books and games at lunch. She was funded by our PTO!

We are continuing to collect items for Helping Hands for Puerto Rico

Here are suggested items:

This week’s greeting language of the week will be Armenian.

Good Morning translates to "Pari Louyce"

The Lowell School is going to greet students in their home languages for one week starting tomorrow morning. We will begin will Spanish and go in alphabetical order. Are aim is to greet all students using the home language of our school. We are very excited to begin tomorrow. Please join us!

THIS WEEK’S

Overview of the Three Sisters

Native Americans have planted the Three Sisters of corn, beans, and squash for centuries. The traditional planting of the Three Sisters garden creates a self-sustaining ecosystem that balances the needs of plants and animals. Three Sisters gardening serves as the model for a wide variety of intercropping systems that thrive throughout the world. The successful system augments agricultural productivity in areas that face acute food shortages, without requiring the use of environmentally harmful pesticides and herbicides.

Benefits of Planting the Three Sisters

In addition to eliminating harmful chemicals that destroy the soil and damage the living environments of other plants and animals, Three Sisters planting provides you with an efficient way to grow crops on less land. The interconnection of each of the Three Sisters reduces the amount of row cropping that takes up most, if not all of a planter’s land. Farmers who use the Three Sisters method of planting report they use the saved farmland to plant other crops or raise livestock in areas that were once covered with crops.

Growing your own vegetables also ensures you reap the benefits of land to table nutrition. Fresh corn kernels burst with antioxidants and vitamins that ward off illnesses, as well as comprise a vital source for minerals. String beans represent one of the best food sources for dietary fiber, vitamin C, and folate. Squash contains the highest level of vitamin A and carotenes. Together, the Three Sisters fill the nutritional void experienced by a vast majority of Americans.

How the Three Sisters Benefit Each Other

The vegetables that comprise the Three Sisters not only provide several benefits for you, the plants also benefit each other by bringing unique attributes to the proverbial table. Think about what each plant needs to grow into a healthy vegetable. Corn requires plenty of space to grow. Beans need a support system for the stalks to grow straight. Both squash and corn thrive on nitrogen, which typically does not flourish in sandy soils. Now, let’s think about how the vegetable compensate for their growing deficiencies.

Corn offers string beans the sturdy support to grow straight. Think of a cornstalk as a naturally developing trellis that ensures string beans remain upright. String beans absorb nitrogen from the surrounding air and replenish nitrogen-deficient soil. The upward growing vegetables also act as a bind that keeps the Three Sisters close together, further enhancing the space you have to grow other crops or raise livestock. Sprawling squash creates copious amounts of mulch that cools and moistens the soil. Squash leaves also contain prickly stems that thwart the best attempt of critters such as raccoons from enjoying sumptuous meals.

Storybook Character Day

On Tuesday, October 31st, First Graders will be celebrating literature with our very own Storybook Character Day!

*******************************************************************************

Annual Halloween Parade

Monday, October 31st

Please come dressed in your costume!

Math in Focus Parent University

elizabeth.kaplan@watertown.k12.ma.us

Dates: Event: Time/Location:

October 23rd	ALICE Drill and Out Site Evacuation	9:00-10:00
October 20th	Fifth Grade Parent’s Coffee with Mrs. Phelan	8:30-9:30 Cafeteria
October 25th	Superintendent Walkthroughs	9:30-11:30
October 27th	TLA Grade 3 and Mr. Fiandaca	11:30-2:30
October 27th	Halloween Party Sponsored by the PTO
October 31st	First Grade Dress as your favorite Storybook Character
October 31st	Kindergarten Costume Parade	First Thing in the Morning
November 2nd	School Council	7:00-8:00 Library
November 11/1	Faculty Meeting	2:45-3:45
November 11/5	Daylight Savings Don’t forget to turn the clock back!
November 11/7	No School Students Teacher’s PD Day Don’t forget to Vote!!!!	All Day
November 11/8	Grade Level Meetings	3:00-5:00
November 11/10	Veteran’s Day Observed	All Day
November 11/13	Meet your Buddy	1:30-2:10 pm
November 11/14	PTO Meeting	6:30-7:30 Lowell Library
November 11/15	Picture Retake Day	All Day
November 11/16	TLA Professional Development Grade 3 & Mr. Fiandaca and Mrs. Riley MacDonald	8:30-11:30
November 11/20	Eat Lunch with your Buddy Day	During Scheduled lunches TBD
November 11/22	Early Release Day	12:15
November 23	Thanksgiving Day	Happy Turkey Day!

James Russell Lowell School

Monday, October 30, 2017

This Week’s Featured Event

Books to Engage Students on Bullying and Diversity

Download PDF

Picture Books

Monday, October 23, 2017

This Week’s Featured Event

Overview of the Three Sisters

Benefits of Planting the Three Sisters

How the Three Sisters Benefit Each Other

Search This Blog