Harwich Elementary School

Principal’s Report

December, 2006

Pre-School

Make Way For Kids – We have been discussing what we know about pets and coming up with questions – what do we want to know (also learning what is a question). In Math we made a graph of “who owns a pet.” We have been learning what our class pets need to survive by first hand observations in science. In social studies we talked about people that take care of animals as a job. We made an animal clinic in our dramatic play area. We also developed a set of “Caring Rules” for our pets. We visited the Animal Rescue League. Also, a vet’s assistant has visited to talk about her job. Children have an opportunity to ask questions and what kinds of animals are cared for.

Integrated Preschool – This month the three year old group has been reading fairy tales and learning nursery rhymes. Also, Francie Joseph visited to share a story about Hanukah and teach us to play dreidel and dance. We have been working on some secret projects in preparation for the holidays.

Kindergarten

Reading/Language Arts/Writing - Kindergarten children have read “Bear Snores On”, “A Bed for the Winter,” and “Whose Garden Is It?” – hibernation.

Math – working on numbers 6 – 10

Science – trees, baby animals, and animal habitats

Social Studies – December holidays and traditions

We also enjoyed a visit from “Officer Phil” learning about fire safety.

Kindergarten families have donated new and/or lightly-used books to be distributed to families in need. Scholastic Classrooms Care Program: 100 books were donated to schools in need after the class and families read 100 books

Grade 1

Curriculum Strands covered:

ELA 4,7,8,9,19,21,23. We finished our unit on animals, and began a unit on communities

Math 2.M.1, 2.M.2, 2.N.7, 2.N.8, 2.N.9, 2.P.5, 2.P.6

A good deal of time learning different strategies for adding and subtracting

numbers to 12.

Learning Standard 1.5, 1.9 (Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa)

New and Interesting Happenings:

We enjoyed a visit from Heritage Museum and learned about toys from the past.

Officer Phil taught us about fire safety.

We will be enjoying ‘Polar Express’ and learning about trains and transportation with our fifth grade partners.

On Friday, Dec. 15^th the 1^st graders with their 5^th grade partners went to see “The Nutcracker” at the Cape Cod Community College. The students enjoyed the live performance!

Grade 2

Reading/Language Arts/Writing – We are practicing letter writing skills by writing to our Hyannis and Chatham pen pals. We are practicing R controlled vowel words, contractions, and sequencing.

Math – learning two-digit addition and subtraction and practicing math facts.

Social Studies – we are researching the countries, traditions, customs of our ancestors. We are studying continents.

We also enjoyed a visit from “Officer Phil” learning about fire safety.

Second grade continues with their community project visiting and gathering food for the Harwich Food Panty.

Grade 3

Reading/Language Arts/Writing – Unit one – Dollars and cents, the focus in writing was a personal narrative.

Math – regrouping in addition and subtraction, using 2-3 digit numbers

Science – Sound and Water units using Foss Kits

Social Studies –Studying Massachusetts, Pilgrims, and Cape Cod Massachusetts book

Rockland Trust employees made a presentation to the students on how to save money.

In November we went to Plimoth Plantation and the Mayflower. Two classes reenacted the First Thanksgiving.

Grade 4

In math this month, students worked on time, data, and graph concepts. Students participated in survey activities relating to the study of data. They continue to learn and study their multiplication facts.

Students are reading selections in the Scott Foresman Reading Series as well as a variety of novels. Because of Winn Dixie, one of the novels being read by students this term, correlates with the study of the Southeast region of the United States.

Fourth grade students are continuing to study the Northeast Region and the Southeast Region of the United States. In science, the students have been participating in experiments and group activities with earth materials.

In November, the students made a connection with the EPOCH Senior Healthcare of Harwich. Thanksgiving poems were written by the children for the residents of EPOCH. Small groups and parents delivered the poems personally and read the poems to various residents. This month, the students constructed colorful winter scene placements to brighten up the residence over the holidays. These were laminated and delivered by parent volunteers.

The students also collected gently-used or new books for distribution at the Harwich Food Pantry.

Grade 5

Reading/Language Arts/Writing: The fifth grade has been working on Unit 2 of Scott Foresman, and is planning to administer the second benchmark test on December 18. This unit’s grammar focus was on developing a greater understanding of proper and common nouns, singular and plural nouns, and possessive nouns. The writing focus was on “How-to” reports. All of the fifth grade teachers have used different novels to teach reading skills and strategies as outlined by the Scott Foresman program.

Math: Long division has been the main focus of the fifth grade math program this month. All of the fifth grade classes are close to completing chapter three in the Scott Foresman math program, and will be beginning chapter four before the winter break. In this chapter the students were taught all of the terminology surrounding division, including, but not limited to, divisor, quotient, dividend, remainder, factors, multiples, and they learned that division and multiplication are inverse operations. They were also introduced to divisibility rules, prime and composite numbers, prime factorization, using the order of operations to solve equations, and using ordered pairs to locate points on a coordinate plane. The students continue to work with decimals and estimation.

Science: Due to the fact that all science kits and books are shared materials, fifth grade science teachers vary when they teach each unit. This month, two classes have been focusing on ocean currents and the effects of ocean currents on weather and climate. Two other classes have been focusing on the solar system, and will also be moving on to weather and climate. The last two fifth grade science classes have been working on habitats and animal adaptations.

Social Studies: All of the classes are studying or are about to begin chapter six in their social studies text books. They have learned about the three major Pre-Columbian civilizations that existed in Central and South America (Maya, Aztec and Inca), and have studied several of the major 15^th century explorers. They are currently learning about the decline of these civilizations in the early 16^th century, and also about the early relationships between the first English settlers and indigenous peoples of North America.

Americorps—Vermicomposting (worm farming) Students learned about the life cycle of red worms, and about their contribution to nature—they breakdown natural materials and turn them into soil. The fifth grade is currently beginning a “worm farm” so that the students’ lunch waste may be vermicomposted. This will provide nutrient-rich soil that can be used in the school’s courtyard garden.

Muddy Creek Fifth grade classes continue to visit Pleasant Bay approximately once a month where they conduct a variety of water tests and learn about data collection. The students are also required to gather data about air temperature, wind speed and direction, the daily weather, clouds, and precipitation. In addition, the students examine plants and animals found at Pleasant Bay when they complete classification and identification activities.

Let’s Say Thanks (letssaythanks.com) Fifth grade students have logged on to this website where they created postcards to send to soldiers overseas.

The Nutcracker—a performance at Cape Cod Community College

Fifth grade students will be attending the Nutcracker performance with their first

grade “book buddy” partners. In addition to being an excellent opportunity for our

school’s oldest students to serve as role models for their younger partners, the fifth

graders will also be supporting some members of their own classes who are

performing in the Nutcracker. Attending this performance will be an excellent

connection between reading and the dramatization of literature, and a wonderful

exposure to the arts.

Support Staff

Kindergarten Student Support – We are reinforcing beginning sounds in a hands-on multimodal fashion using art projects and games. “The Ocean” is the theme in reading – what’s in the ocean? What’s on land? In math we are working on writing, recognizing and counting numbers to 10. The lunch PK/K social language lunch group has created an interactive Tic Tac Toe game to learn to take turns and be the leader. They are creating a winter forest for mother and baby animals to follow the current language arts theme.

PTA

The PTA sponsored a Holiday Bazaar this year inviting all children to attend and do their holiday shopping. Items were donated from parents. Children purchased tickets for $.25 and “bought” gifts for 1, 2, or 3 tickets. All presents were wrapped by volunteers and labeled. This was a huge success.

The PTA also sponsored the Scholastic Book Fair. Parents, teachers and students all benefit from this annual book fair.