Happy October Mason Road Family!!
With the new month starting, everyone at Mason Road School has their foot on the gas pedal as we are now taking a dive into the curriculum. Curriculum Based Measurements (more information on this is provided in this newsletter) have given all the teachers a baseline of where students are currently functioning with their academic strengths and weaknesses. We are now taking off and the teaching and learning is happening! You will be surprised with the information students will be coming home to share. They are learning all kinds of things from the five senses to fable stories. Math problem solving and number identification is showing us that there are a lot of mathematicians out there!
I need to touch upon something that is extremely important. Along with the academic learning, there is social/emotional learning a well. This year we are finding that the needs of students is at an all time high (which is perfectly fine) but we really need your help. The important thing to remember, each and everyday, is that the learning starts at home. When students are off to a good start, chances are, their school day will be successful. When their day starts off rocky and there are struggles, this could (not always) carry over into school. I ask that if your child is struggling in the morning, please let us know so we can be prepared to give them the support they need to turn things around so that they have a successful day. We cannot help to support if we do not know what is going on and, let's face it, our young students are not always going to share. It is essential that both home and school work together to ensure that the learning experience is a successful one. A quick phone call or email will go a long way.
I am excited to see what this month brings as I know it is full of amazing things that we are going to do here at Mason Road School. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at jdesto@dcrsd.org or check out our website page at MASON ROAD SCHOOL.
Sincerely,
Jen D.
If you ever have a question about your child's classroom performance, behavior, social interactions, or anything to do with the classroom, PLEASE CONTACT THE CLASSROOM TEACHER FIRST! Just remember, teachers do not have access to the phone or email throughout the day. If you call or email, teachers cannot provide you with immediate time respond. They will, however, respond as soon as they possibly can. This time usually occurs during their prep time or after school. Rule of thumb is to give them 48 hours to get back to you but as we all know Mason Road staff, they get back to you sooner than later.
If you find you do not receive any kind of a response, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at jdesto@dcrsd.org. I ask that you always start with the teacher. Please and Thank You.
Hello Mason Road families!
Happy Fall! As we head into the cooler weather, we tend to see an uptick in asthma exacerbations, colds, flu, conjunctivitis (pink eye), stomach “bugs”, etc. Mason Road students are doing a fabulous job at washing their hands and covering their coughs and sneezes with their elbows. Please continue encouraging them to do their part in helping us all stay healthy at Mason Road School.
The mobile dentist will be visiting on October 23rd. If you would like to sign your student up, please send in the form that was sent home or sign up online here at your earliest convenience.
Now that the student’s are well adjusted to their daily routine, I will be starting yearly screenings. Please ensure if your student wears glasses that they have them at school with them.
If you have any questions please feel free to reach out via email smoisan@dcrsd.org or via phone 508.943.4312.
Thank you,
Nurse Moisan
Picture retakes will be held the morning of November 16th, 9:30 - 10:30. This is a half day of school due to teacher conferences. All students who was not available for pictures on the days they were here or who are in PK (Tues/Thurs AM ONLY), K, and 1, can take their pictures re-takes while they are here at school.
For PK students who attend Mon/Wed AND/OR any PM students, if families want re-takes, please bring your child to the school during this time. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Harris in the main office at (508) 943-4312.
Each year, starting in Kindergarten, your child will participate in progress monitoring where curriculum based measurements (DIBELs for reading and a Math screener) are utilized to determine if your child requires any level of intervention. The start of the school year provides teachers with a baseline (where your child is currently performing with or without any practice over the summer). If your child comes out below the benchmark range, teachers may recommend them for additional support from our Title 1 teacher and/or Reading Specialist.
Progress monitoring assessments, for the identified students, are conducted every 2-4 weeks. This progress monitoring is conducted to determine if the intervention is effective and your child is making progress, if support needs to continue, or support is not longer needed. If it is determined that your child has made significant progress, and is meeting benchmark consistently, then the additional support may stop. At any time, it can resume again. If your child continues to demonstrate needs, even with the additional support, his/her teacher may choose to begin the process for a referral for special education eligibility. This does not mean your child has a disability. It is just a process for teachers to seek out additional means of support and if necessary, an evaluation to determine if a child requires specialized instruction through special education.
Currently, students have completed baseline assessments on reading and math skills. This gives us information about which skills (reading and/or math) each student is starting with and allows us to make recommendations on who may require a little bit of extra support. You will hear from your child's classroom teacher only if your child demonstrates a need for support. In addition, your child's teacher may send home some additional, fun strategies that are recommended through our assessment measures (DIBELs/Math screener).
Consent to work with your child outside of the classroom will always be sent home. We will not provide Title 1/Reading Specialist supports to students outside of the classroom without permission from home. Note: Title 1/Reading Specialist support may be provided in the classroom setting. This does not require consent.
Lastly, be on the look out for information regarding our ANNUAL STORYBOOK LITERACY event that will be taking place at the end of October! As part of our Title 1 program, our school will be hosting an opportunity for families to come into Mason Road to participate in some fun, exciting, and educational activities. Students (and families) are encouraged to dress up as their favorite Storybook Character!! Again, more information to come on this.
News from Mrs. Gajewski: Kindergarten Newsletter Representative
September has brought our wonderful Kindergarteners to Mason Road School and we couldn’t be happier to have them here! They have been very busy learning many different things…and not just academics. The children are trying to remember the names of their new classmates, the numerous routines and expectations that are a big part of going to school (lining up, navigating the cafeteria, using the playground, etc.), and the names of the teachers that they have for their special classes.
We began the school year learning different Nursery Rhymes from our Core Knowledge Language Arts program. The children have enjoyed reciting the nursery rhymes, acting the rhymes out with their friends, naming the characters and settings of the different nursery rhymes, and creating the characters.
Our Core Knowledge Language Arts Skills program has been focusing on learning the different strokes that make up letters. We not only practice these strokes with our pencil, but we have also used crayons and dry erase markers. One of our favorite ways to practice making these strokes is to form them with Play-Doh! Using Play-Doh is a wonderful way to strengthen the muscles in your child’s fingers and hands. If you happen to have any, your child would love to show you how they form the different strokes with Play-Doh at home.
The children have been learning all about the numbers 0-5 in our math lessons. We have been practicing how to write these numbers, how to count sets of objects and match the set to the correct amount, and how to order these numbers from the smallest to the largest and from the largest to the smallest. We are just starting Topic Two. The children are now learning about comparing groups to see if the groups are equal, greater than the other group, or less than the other group.
We have been learning so many new things in our first weeks of Kindergarten!
Mrs. Connor & Ms. Pontbriand
Hello everyone! The Title 1 Team provides support to students in both Language Arts and Math. Ms. Sue Pontbriand and Mrs. Carol Connor work in both Kindergarten and the First Grade. We usually work within the classroom to review skills needed for reading, writing and math.
What’s Happening in First Grade?
In First grade Language Arts, we have reviewed all letters and sounds and even started working on digraphs (ck, sh, th, ch and wh)! We have also been reviewing kindergarten sight words and practicing new words as they are introduced in our stories.First graders have been practicing various reading strategies including decoding and blending to help read new and unfamiliar text. We have been reading decodable stories that focus on our short vowel and consonant sounds.
In First Grade Math, we have been learning about addition and subtraction. We have been using counters, part part whole mats, ten frames and number lines to help us solve equations. Our number stories have been about adding, taking away, comparing and finding the missing part. The children are also writing equations to go along with their number stories.
Make it Fun in First Grade!
The best way to encourage reading and writing is to make it fun! The car is the perfect place to play word games. For example you could ask “What sound does the word ___begin with?” “What sound does the word ___end with?” “What does the word ___ rhyme with?” Encourage them to try to stump you!
We have been encouraging the students to use their knowledge of doubles to help add and subtract. Ask your child to double any number to 10 or roll a die and double the number to move when playing board games together. Have fun!
What’s Happening in Kindergarten?
In Kindergarten Language Arts, we have started to introduce sounds as well as practicing writing our letters. The kiddos love to use whiteboards and dry erase markers, shaving cream and even sand when practicing their handwriting! We also play a lot of games where the kindergarteners are recognizing sounds and the symbols(letters) that go with them. Along with a focus on sounds, the children are also working on their phonemic awareness by isolating the beginning sound of a one syllable word. This will eventually lead to them sounding out words independently when writing. We have read many Nursery Rhymes and will be learning about our 5 senses.
In Kindergarten Math, we have been working very hard to count up to 5 objects and to identify numbers 0-5. Very recently we have started counting up to 10 objects and identifying numbers 0-10. We like to play games where we roll the dice and move that many spaces, seeing who can get to the end first. We also have been practicing sequencing numbers 1-10. When the children are counting a group of objects we encourage them to point to the objects as they count or cross out a picture after it has been counted so that they do not count something twice or forget one of the pictures.
Make it Fun in Kindergarten!
Be sure to ask your children to be on the lookout for letters they recognize or sounds they hear in the world around them! They could hunt for the letter “A” in the newspaper with you, or maybe find the letter “B” in Burger King! Maybe if you are making a turkey for Thanksgiving, you could ask them what sound “turkey” begins with. The opportunities are endless, have fun with it!
Find ways to bring counting into your child’s life by including them in cleaning or cooking. How many socks don’t have a match after the laundry is folded? How many carrots will be added to the soup? This is a great way to incorporate the skills they are learning into your quality time together.
Library Volunteers
Are you interested in volunteering during your child's library class? We are currently looking for volunteers! All you have to do is fill out our MRS Library Volunteer Schedule. Once we have our lists together, Mrs. Tracy Allen will contact you regarding next steps. THANK YOU!
Dudley-Charlton Regional School District Elementary School Handbook
The student handbook is available on-line (click on the picture on the right) and contains important information about school policies, procedures, and expectations for student conduct. It is reviewed annually by the Dudley-Charlton Regional School District School Committee and placed on file with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Students and parent(s)/caregiver(s) are encouraged to take the time to review the handbook and become familiar with its contents. If you prefer a hard copy of the student handbook, please notify the main office at (508) 943-4312 and we will be sure to send one home.
It is important to note that forms have been sent home for your consent so that the school has permission to have your child's photograph taken. If we do not receive a form back from you, we will assume we have your permission. Any photographs taken are only shared through classrooms , via monthly newsletters and/or on the DCRSD website. They are not posted on social media in any form.
Matter of fact, there is no social media webpage for Mason Road School (no Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram). There may, however, be a parent/caregiver created page that you are welcome to join. I, however, am not part of that. While I know it is an amazing venue for information, I will be sure to notify parent(s)/caregiver(s) as often as necessary through email, phone call, or text messages.
With the weather cooling down, baseball (I just love my baseball) near the end of its season, and fall sports in full swing, fall is right around the corner. I know that schedules are very busy but it is great if you are able to have the children involved in the community activities. In the future, I would like for our newsletters and district website (will need pictures taken horizontally) to include pictures of students here at MRS so that you can see what is happening. Again, we require permission to share any photos.
Thank you!
DCRSD has been invited to participate in opening night at the Railers on OCTOBER 21st! Elementary Student can participate in the HIGH FIVE TUNNEL. To purchase tickets please Click on the link below!
You can also follow the Dudley PTO on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DudleyPTO
