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Monthly Newsletter from our
September 2006
October 2006 November 2006
December 2006 /January 2007 Blanchard Happenings June 2007 Thank you for a great year. As I sit at my desk writing my last Blanchard Bits article for the school year, I’d like to extend a warm thank you to the students, staff and parents for making this a most enjoyable and rewarding first year as your principal. As I have said many times before, I am truly privileged to be part of such a wonderful learning community. I’d also like to thank all the parent volunteers who worked tirelessly throughout the year supporting our Blanchard students. These include our school council representatives, science and arts enrichment coordinators, classroom volunteers, library helpers, and band and chorus volunteers. The countless hours and time they have dedicated to helping our students is truly appreciated. In a few short weeks our sixth graders will be graduating and moving onto R.J. Grey Junior High School. They have been a wonderful class and will be missed. Everyone at Blanchard wishes them the best. A few final notes as we near the end of school:
Have a wonderful and safe summer! Classroom Happenings It may have begun with a bit of drizzle, but this year's Cape Cod Field Trip was full of sunshine! Wednesday morning brought with it showers and smiles. A sea of ninety-five eager fifth graders along with their families arrived at Blanchard at 6:00 AM. That is where our adventure began. Wednesday morning was spent at Plymouth waterfront where we had the opportunity to tour a soggy Leyden Street, Plymouth Rock, and the Mayflower II. From there, we journeyed on to Plimoth Plantation where the sun came out! The remainder of the trip, we were gifted with BEAUTIFUL weather. As usual, we were honored to be with Blanchard students as they were complimented at all locations for their STARR qualities. If you ask a fifth grader, one might guess that one of their favorite parts of the trip was the last stop, after our canal cruise, at Marc Anthony's Pizza where 120 of us filled the restaurant to enjoy delectable pizza. But the best part was when they turned on the music and our group became the next, "American Idols". Who would have thought, going to the Cape to sing and dance with our teachers? Special thanks to our adult leaders who took time away from work and family to come on this adventure. Next stop...Cape Cod Field Trip 2008! The fourth grades traveled to Boston on Tuesday, May 15, for a tour of the Freedom Trail. "The Path to Independence" tour, coordinated by the Histrionic Academy in Salem, was a culmination of the fourth grade study of the American Revolution. Guides dressed in colonial costume led students from Boston Common to Fanueil Hall, stopping at points of interest along the way. Highlights included the Granary Burial Yard, the site of the Boston Massacre and the Old State House. On Friday, May 25, the sixth grade reinforced their knowledge of tree diagrams. As part of our study of probability, the students created tree diagrams to determine the combinations possible in creating ice cream sundaes. These ingredients were then used in their culminating activity where the students created and ate their ice cream sundaes. Library News All books will be due back in the library by Friday, June 1. This will allow the library staff to inventory the collection. Exceptions will be made for special circumstances, for example if a student needs a book to complete a project. Classes will continue to come to the library till the end of the year. Librarians from the Sargent Memorial Library will be visiting Kindergarten through fourth grade library classes in early June to talk about their summer reading program. Next year, the school library will be in need of volunteers. The library will depend on volunteers to help with the day-to-day operations of shelving returns, helping children select materials, material exchange, and various special projects. Your presence would allow the children to have more direct adult attention. If you are interested in volunteering in the library next year, please get in touch with Connie Long before the end of the school year. She can be reached by email: clong@boxboroughschool.org or by phone: 978-263-4569 ext. 242. Thank you for volunteering. Music Our young Blanchard performers made great music on Saturday, May 12 at the Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors Association (MICCA) Solo and Ensemble Festival which took place at Concord-Carlisle High School. The results were as follows:
Woodwind Ensemble Amy McGlothlin, Director Gold Medal The Flute Soloist was also invited to perform at the Honors Concert but won't be able to participate as she has just moved away. Blanchard alums also faired very well:
R.J. Grey Brass Ensemble Chris Baird, Director Gold
Medal Please join me in congratulating all our young musicians! Thank you to the fourth grade students, teachers and parents who hosted a breakfast for the senior citizens of Boxborough before Blanchard’s Choral Concert at community meeting on May 24. It was wonderful to see the fourth graders mingling among our seniors and exchanging stories. The chorus did an outstanding job with the Choral Concert on May 30 impressing everyone who was there with their musical talents. A special thank goes out to Mrs. Margie Callaghan, Blanchard Choral Director, for her continued dedication to the students of Blanchard and to Jeanie Furlan for her accompaniment on the piano. The Blanchard Bands and Ensembles have been practicing diligently for their upcoming Spring Concert on June 7. The concerts have always been remarkable, and we hope to see many families at the concert supporting our band students. Below are upcoming musical events: June 7 - 9:00 AM & 7:00 PM Blanchard Bands and Ensembles Spring Concert June 11 - 7:00 PM Recital Night – a special evening gives students an opportunity to perform music they’ve learned outside of their regular ensemble rehearsals. June 13 - 12:00 PM Gold Stage Band and Vocal Ensemble perform at Cisco June 13 - 6:30 PM Brass Ensemble performs at Wood Park in Hudson alongside the Brass Connection, a professional brass quintet June 20 - 7:00 PM Brass Ensemble performs at sixth grade graduation Recycling Blanchard is now displaying a bright, beautiful recycling reminder banner at the front of the school. This banner was generously donated by the Boxborough Conservation Trust. As of the end of April, the Blanchard Community (staff, students and community members) have recycled 50,049 lbs. of paper -- that's over 25 tons! We also were recognized as a "School on Goal" during January, February and March when we recycled over 10 tons in the 3-month period. We are still due for a pick up for May and June so those numbers will continue to get higher. Recycling will continue through the summer for Boxborough residents. We would like to welcome Ms. Susan Charpentier who is replacing Robin Hirsh, one of our first grade teachers. Ms. Hirsh's new daughter, Kaitlyn Ann, arrived on March 28. We also welcome Mr. Suelc Santos as our new full-time custodian and Ms. Amy Cormier who will be subbing for Ms. Erin Whyte while she recovers from back surgery. The winners of the Boxtop Contest: Mrs. Hirsh, Mrs. Sperazzo, Mrs. Crockett, and Mrs. Sands' classes had their Ice Cream party on Friday, April 13. Everyone enjoyed all the toppings as well as time with their friends. A special thank you goes out to the PTF for hosting the event. Keep sending in those Boxtops! Thank you to all the Blanchard families who donated to our food drive on April 12. We delivered over 600 food items to Loaves and Fishes in Devens. The Student Council has also collected many items for our troops overseas and will be sending them out in May. The Destination Imagination program this year was a huge success with 3 teams making it to the state finals at Worcester Polytech. They had a great time at the tournament with 160 other teams from around the state performing their challenge solutions. Each team worked hard throughout the year and the solutions were totally their own ideas, designs and creations. This program would not run without our volunteers acting as team managers. Thanks to all who helped make this a successful year with a total of 6 teams. Please contact Pollyscherfling@comcast.net for sign up and information about next year's teams. We will need team managers for all teams. It is a wonderful experience for the kids to be part of this international program, and it can't happen without managers! On April 12, Blanchard Memorial featured some special musical guests during community meeting: world-class musicians Christiane Karam and her ZilZala ensemble! With ZilZala, Christiane shared traditional Middle Eastern music from Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, North Africa and Turkey with our school community and created a truly unique musical experience for all. During the presentation, students participated by clapping along with rhythmic patterns and performing a Dekby-style line dance led by members of Mrs. Sperazzo's third grade class. The performance ended with a special dance performance by the Blanchard Memorial Faculty! Grade Level Happenings On April 23, the third graders participated in a program titled, "From Farm to Factory" through the Lowell Historical National Park. This presentation was in conjunction with their study of immigration. Our thanks go out to the Science Enrichment Committee and the PTF for making this learning experience possible. While traveling through the Midwest, the fourth grade students read Sarah, Plain and Tall. Based on what they had read, they then wrote the next chapter, predicting what they thought would happen. As a culminating activity, the students had the opportunity to watch the sequel, Skylark, to find out how their predictions matched what Patricia MacLachlan really did write. Fifth graders are busy getting ready for their Cape Cod trip. Teachers and students have created their own "Cape Cod Compact" in order to ensure safety, success, comfort, and fun for all. This is an exciting few days that the fifth graders have been looking forward to all year. Be sure to check in with them when they return to hear stories of their amazing adventures. On April 5, the sixth graders
celebrated their knowledge of various Asian countries. Students researched and
presented their new knowledge through a museum walk display. Country displays
included a poster and other artifacts in order to highlight many cultural
elements of that particular nation. Parents were invited from nine to ten in the
morning to question the Asian experts on their country. Later that morning,
other grade levels were able to peruse the museum displays to gain new knowledge
themselves. The sixth graders were able to answer questions impressively about
their research. It was an educational extravaganza enjoyed by all. Library News As a culminating activity for the library's reading incentive program, the library hosted an ice cream party for those fourth, fifth and sixth grade students who had read at least five books from our award winning selection. Mrs. Long was pleased to have over 50 students participate in the program. The last day of book check out will be Friday, May 25. All books will be due back in the library by Friday, June 1. This will allow the library staff to inventory the collection. Exceptions will be made for special circumstances, such as a student needing a book to complete a project. Library classes will continue to come to the library where students will finish projects and participate in activities that review library skills that students have learned throughout the year. Music Congratulations are in order for the Blanchard Advanced Band and their magnificent presentation at the MICCA performance on Friday, March 30, at Lexington High School. Not only were these students wonderful representatives of Blanchard, their music was of such high caliber that many in the audience were moved to tears. These young musicians were without a doubt deserving of the silver medal they received. We are all very proud of them. Thank you to Chris Baird for all his hard work and dedication to the band students, to Cesar Garde for his continued support and to Chris Small and all of the parents and chaperones who have given countless hours to helping our band students. "I was extremely proud of the extraordinarily high level of music making that our band presented at the festival. We made great music! Our three judges were equally impressed with the playing of our band. They gave us perfect scores in many categories for which we were being evaluated, ultimately presenting us with a silver medal representing an excellent performance," said band director Chris Baird. The brass and woodwind ensembles as well as flute soloist Kavitha Muralidharan, and clarinet soloist David Zhao will be performing at the MICCA Solo and Ensemble festival at Concord High School on Saturday, May 12. The brass ensemble will perform at 10:40 a.m. The other times are to be announced. Good luck to all our young musicians!
Blanchard Happenings… April 2007 It was wonderful seeing all the parents in school during parent teacher conferences this past March. The halls were attractively decorated with the children’s artwork and matching floral arrangements created by the Boxborough Garden Club. A special thank you goes out to Mrs. Barnett, Ms. Hayes and the members of the Boxborough Garden Club who brought such a welcome touch of spring to our halls. Thank you to the Boxborough Grange for donating a brand new thesaurus to every fifth grader at Blanchard. These books are a wonderful reference tool for our students and are greatly appreciated. The Chorus and Vocal Ensemble did a wonderful job performing at the Pan Choral Concert on March 6. Thank you to Ms. Callaghan for her continued support with the chorus. We were all very proud of their outstanding performance. The Brass, Woodwind and Vocal Ensembles all performed for the PTF's fundraising event which took place at Willow Books, Monday March 26. Once again, thanks to our students for their excellent performance and to Mr. Baird and Ms. Callaghan for their support. The latest issue of Blanchard Arts, our art/music newsletter, was sent home via backpack. This edition shared details about what all grade levels have been learning in their music classes, as well as an article that shares some great educational web sites that your children might enjoy visiting. Extra copies of the newsletter are available in the main office and also on the bulletin board right outside the music room. In celebration of Music in Our Schools Month (March), students have been discussing why music is an important part of their lives. All students completed a "Music is Important to Me" paper during music class. Their finished products will be displayed throughout the school during the month of April. Classroom Happenings On Wacky Wednesday, the kindergarten students enjoyed wearing their "wacky hats" that were made in art class. They also wore different shoes, shirts inside-out, wacky hair, etc. A Green Eggs and Ham banquet was held on Friday, March 30. All of these activities helped celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday. The second grade unit on money and economics ended with a big shopping spree and auction in March. Students were busy studying about coins, currency, and basic economic principles in school, and diligently working at home on a wide variety of projects. The money they earned as "producers" of homework projects accumulated, with interest, so that they became excited "consumers" at the Blanchard Store and Auction on March 22. It was a lively auction, which was followed up by second graders carefully spending their hard earned money. On March 23, the third grade classrooms held their Biography Social for parents to view the projects that students had learned about and worked on for the past five weeks. The students should be proud of all their hard work. These projects were quite an accomplishment! Thanks to the generosity of the PTF Grants Committee, the third grade team purchased two DVD/VHS players. March was a stellar month in fourth grade! The fourth grade astronomers enlightened their classmates and third grade classes with oral reports on the solar system which featured their planetary models. Our librarian, Connie Long, invited the children to display their models in the library, where many families were treated to a heavenly scene as they perused the library during conferences. The evening of March 12 was another astronomical delight. Fourth graders were invited with their parents to the Acton Star Party at the Parker Damon School. Their artwork was displayed throughout the building and received rave reviews. Thanks to Mrs. Barnett and Ms. Hayes for helping the children express their creativity so beautifully. Our teachers saw many Blanchard families enjoying this event. We’re really looking forward to participating again next year! On March 14, the students in the sixth grade celebrated Pi day. They experimented with pies to determine the actual value of pi for their pie. After completing this math activity, they got to eat the pies. Thanks to all the parents who donated this tasty math lesson. The “Apples Up on Top” Reading Incentive Program for our kindergarten through third grade students continued through the end of March. The children were very enthusiastic participants and have reported reading more than ever. Some teachers have more than 80 apples on top of their head! The Reading Incentive Program for fourth through sixth graders will end with an Ice-cream Party celebration on Friday, April 13. All students who have read five (or more) books from our Massachusetts Children’s Book Award selections are eligible to join the celebration. Thank you to our Blanchard families for their help and support of our Reading Incentive Programs. Your children have done a wonderful job.
Blanchard Happenings… March 2007 Thank You A special thank you goes out to the PTF and its volunteers for hosting the annual Staff Appreciation Luncheon on February 2. The food was delicious and everyone enjoyed the “Getting to Know You Quiz” and the wonderful prizes that went along with it. We appreciate all that the PTF continues to do for the children and staff at Blanchard. Enrichment The students in grades four through six enjoyed the performance of the Handel and Hayden Society Vocal Quartet held on February 12. The students were entertained with ways to tell a story through musical forms of opera, oratorio and musical theater. Thank you to the PTF for sponsoring this program. On March 7, Deana’s Fund will be presenting two educational programs dealing with issues of bullying and respect to the primary and intermediate grades. Staff will also receive training on these issues at their February 27 staff meeting. Notices with times will be sent home via backpacks. Parents are encouraged to attend the performance. Your interest and participation in this serious topic will help your child understand that we all can play an important role in making our school and community a safe and respectful place for everyone. Report Cards and Conferences Your child will be bringing their report card home via
backpack on Monday, March 19. Classroom News Fifth and second grade star buddies shared their latest projects together. The fifth graders have created biome dioramas in science, and the second graders have just finished up their bear reports. Students proudly shared their projects with their buddies and then answered the question, "Can my bear live in your biome?" Could a polar bear survive in the desert or a sloth bear in the rainforest? Our student scientists were busily discussing animal adaptations, climates and more as an exciting conclusion to these motivating units. Physical Education.. For two weeks in February, the students had an opportunity to experience the obstacle course that Mr. Erhartic and Mr. Guilmette had set-up for their physical education classes. Students maneuvered themselves around, over, under and through many obstacles that had been set up throughout the gymnasium and stage. They were also given additional challenges to make it progressively more difficult for them to make it through the course. This was a learning experience for all students which they thoroughly enjoyed. Music On Thursday evening, January 25, the fourth grade Beginner Band, under the direction of Chris Baird, presented their first concert at Blanchard to a very appreciative audience of family and friends. The band had been rehearsing weekly since the end of October and performed very well. Many in attendance were impressed with how far the band has progressed in such a short period of time. In addition to selections by the entire band, each section of instruments was featured in their own piece. Thanks to the many parents who have helped at all rehearsals, with special thanks to Lisa McElroy for doing a great job as the band coordinator, Wendy Bryson for her terrific accompanying of the band on piano, and to Cesar Garde for his excellent coaching of the percussion section. The Pan Choral Concert featuring performances by all of the choruses in the AB District, will take place on March 6 at the ABRHS. Both the Blanchard Chorus and our Vocal Ensemble will be performing. The concert closes with a finale that features all students in all of the groups singing together--it's a spectacular moment every year! Students in grades K-6 recently completed the Secret Song Challenge. During the challenge, students matched up seven pieces of music with the correct composer and then aurally identified each piece as it was played. All of the students did very well--many of them got 100% correct! As part of the preparation for the challenge, excerpts of this year's secret songs were played for the entire school during morning announcements. Many students and staff members commented on how much they enjoyed listening to the music. Ms. Callaghan and Ms. Bluhm plan to continue this new tradition on a weekly basis. Students will take a second Secret Song Challenge near the end of the school year. Library News To celebrate Dr. Seuss' Birthday and the 50th Anniversary of The Cat in the Hat, we held a Community Read Aloud in the school library. Mrs. Long invited members of the Boxborough community to read to a library class during the week of February 26 to March 2nd. Guest readers either chose a Dr. Seuss book or another favorite children's book to share with our students. It was an entertaining week in the library and to top it off, the cafeteria served a Seuss cake on his birthday on March 2nd. The Seuss celebration also serves as a kick-off to our month-long Reading Incentive Program for our Kindergarten through Third grade students. During the second week of March, students will listen to the Seuss book, Ten Apples Up on Top, and create a likeness of their teacher for the library window. Students will then read or be read to at home, for a set period of time, to earn an apple for their teacher’s head. This is an enjoyable way to encourage students to read. Thank you, in advance, to our Blanchard families for their help and support of our “Apples” reading incentive program. (Detailed instructions will be sent home with students – watch for a red sheet coming home the second week of March – thanks!) And, one final bit of news, starting the first week of February, first graders have had the opportunity to check out two books each week from the library. To support our students’ independent reading, first graders are now able to check out one BR (beginning reader) book and one other book. Those students who would like to try the more advanced chapter books will have a chance to do so. Star Party 2007 Fourth grade students and their parents have been invited to attend a Star Party on Monday, March 12 at the Parker Damon Building in Acton. This is an exciting opportunity for students and their parents to meet amateur astronomers and get a peek at the night sky using telescopes and binoculars. More information will be appearing on Constant Contact and forms sent home via backpacks. Recycling The numbers for February were 3,360 lbs. bringing our total to 33,889 lbs. of paper being recycled. This is a little off from past months. Hopefully, it will pick up again soon--when the snow goes and thoughts turn to "spring cleaning"! Other Happenings and Reminders A Tuesday/Thursday after-school basketball program began for the fifth and sixth graders on February 27 and a Monday program for the fourth graders will begin on March 5. Our Brass and Woodwind Ensembles will be playing the National Anthem at the Worcester Sharks ice hockey game on Sunday, March 4 at the DCU center in Worcester. Please come support this PTF fundraising event. The Blanchard Destination Imagination Teams will be performing at the Boxborough Town Hall on Saturday, March 3 from 2-4.They will also be participating in a regional tournament on Saturday, March 10 at the Ayer HS. These students have been working hard all year and looking forward to these events. Come cheer them on! Blanchard's Annual Art Show will be held, March 19-30. MCAS Dates The 2007 MCAS schedule is as
follows: MATH Blanchard Happenings... February 2007 Winter is Finally Here Now that the cold weather is upon us, just a reminder to make sure your child is dressed warmly when they come to school. Students will have an outdoor recess unless it is raining or the temperature is below twenty degrees. If your child plans on playing in the snow, when and if it does arrive this winter, they will be required to wear boots and snow pants at recess. Blanchard Marquee As many of you have noticed, thanks to the generous donation of our PTF, we have a new sign gracing the entrance to the Blanchard Memorial School. This gives us another tool to enhance communication. The long-term benefits of increased communication between the school and community residents will hopefully result in continued and extended support of the educational programs at the Blanchard Memorial School. Classroom Happenings The school has been busy with various classroom activities since the last edition of the BITS. Kindergarten classes switched sessions on Monday, January 22nd.They have been enjoying their dinosaur unit and look forward to their Fossil Hunt which will be held on January 31st. First graders learned about Dr. Martin Luther King and his dream for our country. They made crowns on which they wrote their own dreams. All first graders wore their crowns at lunch to celebrate Martin Luther King Day. Second graders are reading and writing non-fiction with their bear study. They have been busy doing research, writing reports, and celebrating their hard work with a Teddy Bear Picnic, complete with measuring and comparing their fuzzy bear friends. The students worked with parents to create life-sized bear murals for our hallways, as a way of sharing what they have learned. Third graders built gingerbread houses with parent volunteers, while sixth graders constructed scale model houses in math class, fourth graders had the Polar Express read to them by our custodian, Jeff Gore, and also had an opportunity to enjoy the traveling planetarium from the Museum of Science. Band and Chorus Both the Advanced Band and Gold Stage Band along with the Blanchard Chorus and Vocal Ensemble did an outstanding job at their recent winter concerts. We are very proud of this talented group of students. As always a special thank you goes out to Chris Baird, Band Director, Cesar Garde, Percussion Director, Amy McGlothlin Woodwind Ensemble Director, Margie Callaghan, Chorus Director, and Jeanie Furlan, Pianist, for their continued support and dedication to the students at Blanchard. MICCA "The Advanced Band will be performing at the Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors Association (MICCA) Concert Festival on Friday, March 30th, 3:30pm at the Lexington High School Auditorium. MICCA is a vocal and instrumental music festival in which nationally known instrumental judges rate young musicians and give them feedback on their performance. The performance will be followed by a clinic with one of the judges. There will also be the opportunity to hear other bands from around the state. Participants are not competing against each other but are evaluated against established guidelines for ratings of gold (superior), silver (excellent), bronze (good), medal of merit (average) or festival participation (needs improvement). As many festival participants are high school and middle school bands that rehearse every day, the Advanced Band will be having extra rehearsals to prepare for this exciting opportunity. We wish them all the best!"
MCAS Our seven week Academic Support program for ELA will begin the week of January 22nd; math starts the week of March 19th. Students will be invited to attend these programs based on teacher recommendations. The MCAS schedule is as follows: ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS Grade 3: March 28, 29, and 30 Grade 4: March 26, 27, and 28 Grade 4: March 20 - Long Composition Grade 5: March 23, 26 and 27 Grade 6: March 19, 20 and 29 Makeup: April 2, 3 and 4 MATH Grade 3: May 23 and 24 Grade 4: May 21 and 22 Grade 5: May 15 and 16 Grade 6: May 17 and 21 Makeup: May 29, 30, and 31 SCIENCE Grade 5: May 22 and 23 Makeup: May 29, 30 and 31 SOCIAL STUDIES Grade 5: May 24 and 25 Makeup: May 29, 30 and 31 Student Council The Student Council hosted a breakfast for the Boxborough seniors on December 21st. “The breakfast was wonderful and the children were not only very gracious hosts, but also a delight while serving a variety of breakfast items, many of them homemade,” said Frank Powers, Chairman of the Boxborough Council on Aging. After the breakfast, which was held in the school library, the seniors were escorted to the gym to attend the winter concert. The seniors thoroughly enjoyed the morning and are looking forward to future events at Blanchard. The Student Council also organized a “Soup-er-Bowl” fund raiser for the local food pantry. Cans of soup were brought to school by the students and displayed on stage during the last community meeting before the Super Bowl. Students wore their favorite team colors to get in the spirit for the big game. The Council is also arranging to send letters and care packages to our troops in Iraq at a future date. Library This year’s school library Reading Incentive Program has begun for grades 4, 5, and 6. This is an optional program to encourage students to read quality literature. Students can participate in the Massachusetts Children’s Book Award Program by reading five books (or having books read to them) from the collection of 25 books on display in the library. Students have until mid-April to finish the five books. The program will culminate in an ice cream party for those students who have achieved the reading goal. A Reading Incentive Program for our younger students will take place in March … more information to follow. Looking ahead…. To celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday and the 50th birthday of the Cat in the Hat, during the week of 2/26 to 3/02, we’re planning a week of community read alouds in the school library! We’ll be inviting members of the Boxborough community to read their favorite Seuss book to a class. Recycling Our recycling program continues to exceed our expectations. Our December total was 5,765 pounds and so far in January we have recycled 2,489 pounds, bringing our grand total to 25,754 pounds. The bins are almost ready to be emptied again. Thank You A sincere thank you to the staff and students of the Extended Day Program for the afternoon tea they hosted for the staff on December 13th. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the homemade goodies that were served by our gracious students. What’s Happening at Blanchard December 2006 To all of our Blanchard families who celebrate significant holidays during this season, I wish you happiness and peace. This is a time we can gather with friends and family to celebrate our many traditions, reflect on all that has happened over the year, and look forward to all that our future holds for 2007. A reminder that Parent/Teacher Conferences are scheduled for December 6 and 7. Report cards will be going home on Monday, December 4. If you are interested in seeing a specialist, please contact them directly to set up an appointment. Senior Luncheon The Vocal Ensemble, Woodwind Ensemble and Brass Ensemble all performed at the Boxborough Senior Luncheon on November 8. The seniors thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated these talented children. We look forward to their upcoming concerts in December. A reminder that the Chorus and Brass Ensemble will perform at the town's annual tree lighting ceremony on Saturday, December 2 at 4:30 p.m. at the corner of Hill and Middle Roads. Special thanks to Margie Callaghan, Chris Baird and Amy McGlothlin for their continued work with these students. PTF Gift The PTF has generously donated funds to the Blanchard Memorial School to purchase a marquee for the front of the school. The PTF Board has been working closely with Elizabeth Hughes, the Town Planner, to finalize a design which would reflect the needs of the Blanchard School and the community. This sign will benefit both the school and community, informing residents of school events as well as town-wide events. Special thanks to our PTF for this wonderful gift. Classroom Happenings Second graders celebrated their Tomie dePaola unit with Pasta Parties on November 2. This unit was all about making connections in reading, an essential reading strategy. The author's Italian heritage which appears in his family stories and his Strega Nona books, was deliciously connected during a morning of overflowing pasta and chicken soup, served on Tomie-style decorated tablecloths! Thank you to all the families that contributed to this fabulous feast. On November 7 and 8, the third grade children participated in the black and white photography workshop. This was presented by Bob Turner, a local photographer. The children were able to bring in props to capture the essence of who they are while creating their own portrait. This experience was made possible through the PTF Arts and Enrichment program, and the third grade team was appreciative for the opportunity. The children's portraits will be on display outside the third grade classrooms during the first two weeks of December. Mrs. Barnett and Mrs. LaVigne have been teaching a unit on Kinetic Sculpture and how art relates to math. Students have been using their geometry skills to help them in art class. Sixth graders learned how to make icosahedrons and cubes out of paper and ball shapes. On October 27, Anne Lilly, a kinetic sculptor, visited all the classes to discuss kinetic art and to show wonderful samples of her work. The unit ended with a chilly visit to the DeCordova Sculpture Park in Lincoln on November 3. Students were given a tour of the outside sculptures, with an emphasis on the kinetic works of art. The sixth graders are currently creating their own kinetic sculptures in art class.
SmartBoard Training A special thanks to Larry Follett who has given two after-school training workshops, September 27 and November 8 on the SmartBoard. This training was for any teachers who were interested in learning more about this powerful educational tool. Also, nine teachers attended an all day SMART Master's Training session at Blanchard on Thursday November 19. Rae Raffin, from Smart Tech, introduced teachers to SmartBoard components and functions. She also presented how to use applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel and Power Point on the SmartBoard. She demonstrated use of Notebook software to create interactive lessons with the board.
Student Council Our newly elected sixth-grade Student Council is as follows: Kyla Sandock, President; Cory Small, Vice-President; David Zhao, Secretary, Rebecca Toporoff, Treasurer. The class representatives are: Trevor Kononenko (LaVigne), Julia Larson (Dimen), Ryan LaForest(Kish), and Mark Vicik (Bondaruk). Congratulations to all these students. Their first school-wide activity was to organize the national Mix-It-Up-Day held on November 15. This is a day when students can meet new friends by sitting with different people at lunch and interacting with each other. The Student Council felt the day was very successful, especially with the younger grades. Also, the Student Council will be hosting a breakfast for the senior citizens here at Blanchard on December 21. The seniors are then invited to attend our Community Meeting featuring the choral concert. A Busy Month at Blanchard… November 2006 October has been a busy and productive month at Blanchard. Students and staff have settled into their daily routines and Dr. Bates and I have witnessed many wonderful learning activities taking place in the classrooms.
Field Trips Several grades have had the opportunity to go on field trips this month. Kindergarten classes enjoyed their field trip to the Boxborough Fire Station. They were given a tour of the fire station and each student received a fire hat to take home. Special thanks to our fire department for providing such a meaningful experience for our students. The kindergarteners also had a chance to experience the “Live Tide Pool” under marine biologist, Ellen Goethel, who brought live sea creatures to the classroom. The first grade field trip to George Hill Orchards in Lancaster was a great success. The weather was perfect for apple picking. The children also went on a hayride, saw a show in the theater on caring for apple trees, and enjoyed delicious homemade doughnuts and cider. Sixth grade students had an opportunity to visit the Museum of Science last week. They saw a live animal show, a chemistry show, the electricity show, and also went to the main exhibit Body Worlds2. Deepak Mani commented, “The brain looked like a bunch of spaghetti wrapped up into an intricate ball and the lungs looked like football pads except backwards.” Sixth graders also presented their culture projects in class where their peers were enlightened about various customs around the world and sampled an assortment of international culinary delights.
RECYCLING Sixth graders have taken over the recycling project. Each week teams of 6th graders collect and weigh paper from designated locations and then record that data on spreadsheets for tracking. Between September 11th and October 5th, thanks to the positive response from students, staff and community members, we have returned 7,537 lbs of paper for recycling! The dumpster is already filled again and ready for pick up! Although we don't have the capacity to weigh our cardboard returns, the Boxborough DPW has been here each week collecting our cardboard for recycling through the transfer station, helping to cut down on the amount of trash we are throwing away.
Student Handbook The Blanchard Student Handbook is written for students to help them understand the rules of the school. Unlike the green parent handbook, this student handbook provides information to help your child manage the day to day routines at school. Look for it in your child's backpack in the next month!
Enrichment Programs Thanks to the PTF Enrichment Committee for providing the students at Blanchard with two wonderful enrichment events in October. Earthtunes, which kicked off our recycling program, provided a lively and informative program that informed our students about our environment and the importance of recycling. Andrew Green, from Potatoe Hill Poetry, worked with the fourth grade students showing them how poetry is connected to their everyday lives. Students wrote their own poems under his direction and several students presented their poetry at Community Meeting.
Tech Tuesdays One way our staff improves their computer literacy is by attending Tech Tuesdays. These are short, one hour or less training sessions on specific topics that will help our teachers expand their knowledge of computers and hone their skills at using them. The more comfortable our staff is with technology, the more easily they will be able to incorporate that technology into their teaching. When a Tech Tuesday is an Office Product, we invite other Boxborough town employees to the training session too.
School Council The School Council had its first meeting on October, 17th. School Council members present were: Kerin Crockett, Nancy Melbourne, Julie Geran, Catherine Christensen, Eileen Kassower, Sarah Briones, Kim Musto, and John Fallon. A Co-chair and secretary were elected for the 2006-2007 School Council: Kim Musto, Co-chair and Nancy Melbourne, Secretary. Council members reviewed and edited the student handbook that was created by Gail Walsh, Guidance Counselor, and designed specifically for the student. An overview of the proposed school safety plan was discussed. Topics to be discussed at next month’s meeting are: 1) School Improvement Plan, 2) Four School Goals, 3) MCAS Results, and 4) Budget Process.
2006-2007 Off to a Great Start October 2006 As mentioned in Constant Contact, we had a wonderful start to our school year here at Blanchard. Students enjoyed meeting their new teachers and reacquainting with old friends. We welcomed eighteen new families to our Blanchard Community. I’d like to extend a warm welcome to the two newest members of the Blanchard staff: Jeff Goor is our part-time custodian and Lori Murray will be joining us as our new crossing-guard. Jeff started at Blanchard last week and Lori will be at her post on October 3rd. Thanks again to the Boxborough Police Department for ensuring the safety of our children in the mornings and at dismissal time. We had many positive comments as parents viewed the newly decorated lobby during Curriculum Nights and Open Houses. A special thank you goes out to Debra Baum and Darcy Sidwell for all their hard work in making our lobby a more inviting place. The flowers and pumpkins add a special, welcoming touch to our school.
Blanchard Events Calendar To keep parents continuously updated on what is going on at Blanchard you are now able to view the Blanchard Events Calendar on our website. The key sequence to get to this location is as follows: Go to the school’s website by typing: http://www.boxboroughschool.org Click on “Our School” Click on “Events Calendar”
Open House and Curriculum Nights Our primary and intermediate Open Houses on September 18th and 20th were very successful. It was wonderful to see so many happy faces walking the halls and visiting the attractively decorated classrooms. Many Curriculum Nights will have taken place by the time you read this. The events were well attended and teachers did an impressive job of informing parents about their curriculum and expectations. Please check the calendar at the back of the Blanchard Bits for additional Curriculum Nights.
New Math Program Last year, after having the opportunity to utilize resources from the latest Scott Foresman Addison Wesley math series, the Blanchard teachers decided to adopt it as their new math program. Teachers were impressed with many of its features including: alignment with the state frameworks, a more accelerated math program, imbedded MCAS prep, and the numerous other resources it offered. They will be receiving additional training from a Scott Foreman representative on October 3rd and 4th.
Thank You to Littleton Electric Once again Littleton Electric has been very generous in offering a Science and Technology Grant to the Blanchard School. The grant money has gone towards purchasing one large SmartBoard for the intermediated grades and two smaller SmartBoards for the primary grades. We will also be purchasing several LCD projectors to use with the SmartBoards. A sincere thank-you to Littleton Electric for their continued support of our students in the areas of science and technology.
Thank You to the Rotary Club A special thank you is extended to Dave Birt and the Rotary Club for once again presenting each of our third grade students with their own personalized dictionary. The Rotary Club’s goal to promote literacy is a commendable one from which many students will greatly benefit.
School Council We would like to welcome two new School Council members. Julie Gearin will be replacing Rebecca Schuhmacher as a teacher representative and Shelly Lawson will be replacing Liz West as a community representative. We would like to thank Liz West for her many years of dedicated service to Blanchard. She has served on the School Council for several terms and her commitment and insight have been an inspiration for all of us here at Blanchard.
Band and Chorus Our children are very fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in the various bands that are offered at Blanchard, as well as chorus. We look forward to another exciting musical year.
Welcome Back September 2006 Welcome back to a new school year at Blanchard. I look forward to an exciting and rewarding year ahead of us. A special welcome to Dr. Curtis Bates, Superintendent/ Curriculum Director, and the following new staff members as they join our Blanchard community:
Maintenance/Office Staff Our maintenance crew has done a commendable job getting our building cleaned and ready for the first day of school. It was a long, hot summer yet they worked tirelessly to make sure all the rooms were ready and spotless. The office staff has spent the summer ordering, organizing and doing all those necessary behind the scenes jobs to ensure a smooth opening in September.
Summer Institute/Courses: Over thirty staff members participated in our summer curriculum institutes and/or attended graduate courses, workshops or seminars throughout the summer. They are looking forward to applying all they have learned to our school’s curriculum. I am very pleased and proud to be working with such a dedicated and talented group of professionals.
School Starting Times: Just a reminder that school starts at 8:45 AM. Please make sure your child arrives on time.
Drop-Off: In order to prevent a backup in the morning on Rt. 111, we ask that all parents pull around to the end of the circle in front of the school before dropping off their child. This will help to ensure the safety of our children at such a busy time of day. Our paraprofessionals will be out there to assist you in the mornings.
Summer Pre-School: We were very fortunate to once again be able to offer a five-week summer pre-school program at Blanchard. These children had a wonderful summer under the guidance and direction of Ms. Brenda Sartori, Ms. Sue Mannherz, and Ms. Robin Goldberg. Debbie Butts (OT) and Diane Boton(PT) were there one morning a week to provide the required services. There was a preschool Open House on August 31st from 10:00-11:00 AM for new and returning students and their parents/guardians. This gave the students and their families a time to visit the classroom and meet the staff.
Recycling: I am delighted to announce that Blanchard, as one of its school wide goals, will begin its new recycling project this September. We have just signed on with Abitibi Paper Retriever. This company provides community drop-off recycling bins and pickup services, all at no cost. In fact, Abitibi Paper Retriever pays the school for all paper collected in the containers. Special thanks to Liz Sheldon for her many hours of planning and organizing this program and to Pam Eisenberg and Janet Levine for their support and assistance with the coordination of this venture. We are all excited and eager to begin recycling. More information on how you can help will be coming soon.
Box-Tops Jennifer Zupicich, the Chairperson for Boxtops 4 Education, has asked that I remind parents to continue to save their box tops. Last year we raised $1,800 for our school just shy of our $2,000 goal. It is an easy way for our school to make a bit more money for the PTF without doing much more than just shopping and clipping. For those unfamiliar with this program further information will be forthcoming.
Thank you, again… Thank you for welcoming me last year as your assistant principal, and now I look forward to my first year as principal of the Blanchard Memorial School. This will be a year to continue the strong traditions that make Blanchard the great school that it is, but also an opportunity for us to grow and embrace positive changes that come our way. |
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Blanchard Memorial Elementary
School