The 4th graders were fortunate to see the King Arthur Baking Company Bake for Good program on Monday. This free program teaches students how to bake bread including the science behind it. Students received the materials and supplies to bake two loaves of bread this week, one to keep and one to give away to a loved one, neighbor, someone in need, the Council on Aging or the Norwell Food Pantry. We hope to bring the program back to Cole School next year and each year moving forward.

Many thanks to the volunteers that came into read aloud to classes for World Read Aloud Day on Wednesday. Students enjoyed some great stories read aloud by visitors from Central Office, the School Committee, with buddies from Buddy Classes, and with Mrs. Burns and Mrs. Benner. Thank you to Mrs. Fuller and Ms. Clark for coordinating the day for us!

Students in grades 3-5 are encouraged to participate in the STEAM Night Science Fair on Thursday, March 6th. Check out the details included in the attached document below!

Many of the Magnificent Meerkats were nominated for their great focus on academic goals and the growth made so far this year. There were quite a few nominations highlighting kind and friendly behaviors towards all of their classmates. Mrs. Fitzpatrick, grade 3 substitute teacher, was also nominated this week for her great teaching! We are super proud of these Magnificent Meerkats!

We'll be learning about the next Habit of Mind on Monday during Connections.

Thinking about your thinking, or metacognition, is something that we all do, even if we are not aware of it happening. It’s when we talk to ourselves as we are thinking through a challenge.

As parents, we sometimes observe that our children are unaware of their own thinking while they are thinking. They seldom plan for, reflect on, or evaluate the quality of their own thinking. When asked, “How did you solve that problem?” they may reply, “I don’t know, I just did it.” They are unable to describe the steps and sequences they are using before, during, and after the act of problem solving. They cannot transform into words the visual images held in their mind.

You can coach your children to become more aware of their own thinking and describe what goes on in their heads when they think.

• Examine the role metacognition has played in your thinking. For example, perhaps you talked to yourself to get ready for a difficult conversation with a co-worker or a client. Or you thought about planning for a big purchase and thinking about small goals you might set for yourself. Talk with your child about what you have uncovered.
• Help your child by using “thinking words” such as “compare”, “analyze”, “predict”,” classify,” and “conclude”. Invite them to describe the thinking skills and strategies they plan to use before performing a task.
• As they are solving a problem, ask them “Where are you now in your strategy?” “What do you still need to do?” “What information are you seeking?” When the task is completed, ask them to reflect on their thought processes: “What worked for you?” “What would you do differently next time?”
• When you are doing an activity with family members (e.g., cooking, planning a vacation) talk aloud about how you are thinking about what you are intending to do and a possible plan of action.
• (https://www.habitsofmindinstitute.org/what-are-habits-of-mind/)

This week, we learned about the importance of perseverance when having integrity. Grades K&1 heard "The Little Engine That Could" and gave examples of times when they said "I think I can!" Grades 2 & 3 broke into teams to come up with solutions to challenging situations, rather than giving up. Grades 4 & 5 heard an athlete's story of overcoming obstacles, even with physical limitations, and compared fixed and growth mindsets. We will finish our integrity unit next week!

Head Lice is a common concern of childhood that occurs every year to millions of children across the United States.

Both the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the CDC advocate for the following practices to be discontinued:

• whole classroom screening,

• exclusion for nits or live lice

• notification to others except for parents/guardians of students with head lice infestations

That being noted, it can never hurt to check your child's hair if they are complaining of it being itchy or if you are notified of a close playmate who did have it. Lice move by crawling; they cannot hop or fly. If you ever have any questions please reach out at any time.

Letslearnaboutlice.com is a great resource and I encourage you to take a peek so you are familiar with this information in case you find yourself or your child dealing with lice or the possibility of lice.

We finished our Gymnastics Unit this week. K-3 continued to work on rolls, weight on hands and balances. Fourth and fifth graders memorized their gymnastic performance with a partner. They also had an opportunity to judge their classmates on why they specifically liked a performance.

February

February 10 - Connections Meeting, reading A Bad Seed by Jory John

February 10 - Grade 5 Field Trip (Thank you, PTO!)

February 12 - School Council Meeting 3:30pm

February 14 - Valentine's Day

February 17- February 21 - February Break

February 24 - Grade 4 Geography Show (Thank you, PTO!)

February 24 - Community Meeting 2:30pm

February 27 - Grade 5 Concert and Play

Looking Ahead

March 5 - Early Release 12:20pm Dismissal for all students

March 6 - Meteorologist visit to Grade 5 (Thank you, PTO!)

March 6 - STEAM Night 5:30pm

March 10 - Connections Meeting, reading Only the Best: The Exceptional Life and Fashion of Ann Lowe by Kate Messner

March 14 - Crazy Hair Day (selected by Charlotte Moore and her class, winner of PTO Raffle)

March 21 - Elementary Report Cards available in Aspen

March 24 - Community Meeting 2:30pm

March 26 - Elementary Early Release 12:20pm Dismissal for all students