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The MMES Buzz
News from Manchester Memorial Elementary School!
April 5, 2024
Principal's Note
Dear MMES Families,
As you know, we will be experiencing a rare solar eclipse on Monday! So exciting...but also an event to be cautious about. It's estimated that the eclipse will begin at about 2:16 p.m., and end at about 4:38 p.m. This is a tricky time for us as it will start a little before dismissal and will end a bit after most students are home. Thanks to a generous donation, we will be giving all students eclipse glasses and teachers will explain to them the importance of using the glasses if they want to look at the eclipse. Please reiterate this with your child as many will be walking/riding home when the eclipse is happening.
We want everyone to be safe, so we are sharing the following NASA tips:
It is not safe to look directly at the sun without specialized eye protection for solar viewing.
Always inspect your eclipse glasses or handheld viewer before use. If torn, scratched, or otherwise damaged, discard the device.
Always supervise children using solar viewers.
Eclipse glasses do NOT make it safe to use cameras, cell phone lenses, binoculars, telescopes, or other optical devices. You should only use these devices if you have special solar lens filters. Eclipse glasses will not prevent serious eye injury when using cameras or optical devices.
Remember to wear sunscreen, a hat, and protective clothing to prevent skin damage. Even during a partial or annular eclipse, or during the partial phases of a total eclipse, the sun will be very bright. If you are watching an entire eclipse, you may be in direct sunlight for hours.
Have a great weekend!
Best,
John
Mrs. Decker's K Students Say, "April showers bring May flowers!"
We are starting to introduce more modern ways to tell the weather and I brought out a rain gauge for the storm this week.
We used a rain gauge starting Wednesday at 8am and ending today at 8am and measured almost 3 inches of rain.
The Scoop - G5 Student Ambassadors
Calling All Helpers - Elementary Spring Art Show
The Elementary Spring Art Show is just around the corner! Mrs. Yutkins is looking for volunteers to help put up the artwork on Wednesday May 15 at the Middle School/High School. The art show will coincide with the Elementary Spring Concert. Mrs. Yutkins is also in need of extra hands to take down the artwork during the concert on Thursday May 16 at 6pm.
Please reach out to Mrs. Yutkins at yutkinsc@mersd.org to sign up to help. Thank you for your support!
Enrichment at Memorial this Week - Top Secret Science
On Monday, our Kindergarteners met with Top Secret Science to discuss “Forces & Motion.” They began working in teams to build the Eiffel Tower out of plastic cups, in order to learn the importance of balancing items with a good foundation. They moved on to build paper helicopters to demonstrate the effects of gravity, lift, thrust and drag. The room was full of cheers and laughter as the students threw their helicopters around together. To further demonstrate the impact of gravity, the students made a balancing toy and were challenged to use their fine motor skills along with their listening skills to complete the complicated steps. The program was 90 minutes long and the students were engaged and active participants the whole time.
Ask your student what they “won” at the end after a student beat Mrs. Decker, keeping a ping pong ball in the air longer than her, using their breath through a straw. The students went wild!
SHOPPING FUN AT MMES THIS WEEK!
K-5 students enjoyed a Spring Book Fair full of great books brought to us by MMPTO and The Book Shop of Beverly Farms. Special thanks go to Emily Snyder, MMES Book Fair queen, and her elves, parent volunteers for organizing, setting up, selling , and cleaning up the Fair! Our kiddoes were thrilled with their purchases as demonstrated in this photo of Harrison sharing his book with brother James on the walk home after school.
Congrats to Livia M. & Louisa S. - Winners of MBTS Public Library Poetry Contest
The Knitter - Livia M.
Puppies are cute, furry, and born in a litter,
One named, Spot, was owned by a knitter,
It was a nightmare, I must say,
She knitted clothes for him in every way.
From pants and shirts,
To dresses and skirts!
She knitted him a swimsuit in the summer,
It sounds awesome, but it was quite a bummer.
How she knitted a swimsuit, I do not know.
Next, were snow boots with a matching bow,
I could not take it anymore!
So, I adopted that puppy and ran out the door!
April Rain - Louisa S.
On a rainy day in April I lie in my bed dreaming of rain drops in my head I hear them go: pit pat pit pat over and over, then I wake up then I go down the stairs I sit on the couch and read one of my favorite books then I think and ask myself, "should I enter the poetry contest today?" Then I thought Yes I should and that is what I did!
And I won!
The End
What's the Buzz with Ms. X
Happy Friday Hornets! Our students are being thrown right into Spring (minus the random April Snow Shower) and facing challenges in their day to day lives – whether it be an upcoming rivalry game, the nearing transition to middle school, friend troubles, academic struggles or persisting through MCAS. Although it’s easy as adults to sometimes dismiss these concerns as ‘not a big deal’, it can feel impending and massive for kids. Everyone has had trouble in life before and from time to time we may have found ourselves thinking negatively and as if there’s something wrong with us.
It’s critical we teach our students skills to deal with these uncomfortable feelings and to manage these negative thoughts. To help support them with these types of challenges (or even the small ones like that pesky math problem!) we can teach them the life skill of Positive Self Talk. Research shows the ever-growing list of benefits for those who engage in positive thinking (this article discusses them and more!) and how we ‘talk’ (in our heads) to ourselves is no different. I don’t mean to suggest that we ignore challenges, the associated feelings, or practice “Good Vibes Only”, but instead we approach things with a coach mindset. We reframe the thoughts that say “I’m terrible at math” or “I’ll never get a goal” to those that provide encouragement. Kids benefit from this practice through increased resiliency and self-confidence, recognition of both strengths and areas to improve as well as empowerment to explore interests and take risks (the newsletter is based off this article , please explore for further details!)
Here's what’s important:
- This won’t happen overnight! With anything, it takes time and practice to train our brains!
- Start with awareness and recognition of negative self-talk. For example, ask your student what they are telling themselves when they seem to be struggling with something. As you continue to raise this awareness, students will begin to internalize this process and do so without prompting.
- Re-orient thinking starting with the basics: replace “How was school” (and the oft reply of ‘fine’) with “What went well today?” to encourage conversation.
- Talk with your child about their feelings and what they like about themselves. We can recognize and feel good about our strengths without bragging (plus improving a skill or realizing a strength can boost their confidence).
- Focus on the effort! Working hard and persisting through challenges is a far better life skill than a perfect grade/score or being an MVP.
- As with most things, one of the biggest influences in our students’ ability to adopt and utilize any skill is having the adults in their lives model it. That means we share when we use this skill/have reframed a situation for ourselves as well as working with our students to think about a challenge they are facing and work together to make sense of it.
- Enjoy the visual below for examples (completed by outside professional)
Have a great weekend MMES Community! – Ms. X
Dates to Remember
2023-2024 Calendar
April
10 – MCAS ELA G3-5 Session 1
11 – MCAS ELA G3-5 Session 2
11 – Elementary Poetry Café Night 5:30 Essex Elem
15-21 - Patriots Day/Spring Recess
May
1 - Early Release, Professional Development, 11:45 Dismissal
15 – MCAS Math G3-5 Session 1
16 – MCAS Math G3-5 Session 2
16 –Art Show and Spring Concert at HS 5pm
20 – MCAS STE-5 Session 1
22 – MCAS STE 5 Session 2
24 – Memorial Day Celebration
24 - Grade 5 Move Up Day at Middle School
27 - Memorial Day, no School
28 - G5 to Maritime Gloucester
31 - HS Graduation
June
3 - Field Day
4 - Spring Concert G K-4, 9:30 am
5 - Early Release, Professional Development, 11:45 Dismissal
7 - Last Day Kindergarten
7 - Grade 5 Project Adventure
10 - Grade 5 to Boston
11 - Crossing the Bridge, Grade 5
13 - Last Day, No Additional Snow Days
19 - Juneteenth
Looking ahead to Back to School:
First Day of School - Wednesday, August 28, 2025
MMES Open House - Thursday, September 12, 2024 6:00 - 7:00 pm
Front Office Updates
PREKINDERGARTEN AND KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION
It is time to register students for kindergarten! All students planning to attend Memorial as kindergarten students next year must complete the registration process with MERSD, including those currently enrolled in the Memorial prekindergarten program. This is a two-part process. However, current MERSD pre-kindergarten students will not need to complete residency again. Please Contact Mrs. Schmidt with any questions or for assistance at 978 526-1908 x5100.
STEP ONE: Proof of Residency. Before registering your child for kindergarten, it is required that you verify your residency in Manchester. Families with older siblings currently enrolled at MMES, must also complete this process, unless they are currently enrolled in the MERSD prekindergarten program, and should contact the district office to determine what is needed.
Proof of Residency information can be found on the District web site at www.mersd.org under “About Us.”
Please scan documentation to Amy LeJeune lejeunea@mersd.org in the MERSD district office (978-526-4919 for questions). Once your documentation has been verified you will receive notification from the district office confirming your child’s residency. The MMES (Memorial) office will also receive a copy of your verification and will send you a registration packet for completion.
Manchester Memorial PTO
Register for the Race:
https://www.athlinks.com/event/hit-the-street-for-little-feet-59073
Sign up to Volunteer:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409094EA5A62DA6FB6-48566479-hitthe
PTO Weekly Top 3
5k Committee Volunteers Needed!
We are so excited to bring back Hit the Street for Little Feet 5k, and we are looking for volunteers to help plan out the festival portion of the event. Reach out to mmptopres@gmail.com if you are interested in helping out!
Save the Date!
Hit the Street 5k - May 17, 2024
Field Day - June 3, 2024
Schedule of Monthly PTO Meetings:
The following are dates for the 2023-2024 PTO Meetings:
• Friday, April 26
• Wednesday, May 22
All meetings will begin at 9 am, and will be located in the Project room on the first floor of the school. All are welcome...we hope to see you there!
Health Room Updates
Postural screening in 5th grade will begin on April 1st. If you wish your child to opt out of this screening, please inform me by Monday.
We are seeing an increase in activity now that the weather is improving. We have many thirsty and hungry students. Please make sure to send water bottles and an extra snack.
The GI virus is around. Please make sure your child is 24 hours without vomiting or diarrhea and able to tolerate food before they return to school.
Physicals:
Current physical and immunization records are due for grades 1 and 4. Please do not make a new appointment. Send me the most current and then send me a copy of the new physical when it is completed.
Extra Clothing: ALL GRADE LEVELS
Occasionally a spilled drink, a fall in a puddle or even a ride down a wet slide occurs, if each child could have a change of clothing (head to toe) that would be great.
Just a few reminders:
1. If your child is going to be absent or arriving late, please call either 526-1909 or 526-1908 to let us know.
2. If your child has a temperature of 100. F or over, they need to be temperature free for 24 hours (without relying on Tylenol or Motrin) before re-entering the school.
3. If your child is experiencing diarrhea or vomiting, we recommend that they are symptom free for 24 hours and can tolerate solid food before they return
4. If your child has a contagious illness such as conjunctivitis or strep throat, it is the school policy that they are on medicine for 24 hours before re-entering the building.
5. PLEASE REMEMBER THAT ALL CLASSROOMS ARE PEANUT/NUT FREE
Thank you for your co-operation and continuing support.
Any questions or concerns please call or email
Joanne Seaman, R.N.
978-526-1909 Fax 978-526-5209
Lunch Menu April
iReady My Path - Home Access
MERSD elementary students now have access to the iReady "My Path" program at home. This aspect of iReady is an online tool that provides students with learning activities and practice geared towards their individual skills and needs. Below you will find information regarding accessing this tool at home for extra skill practice in reading and mathematics.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qhiOnoPCkyzwb8HLql0PdEgwNC_tiKcN/view
Notices From Our Friends
Open Door Mobile Market
Mobile Market at Memorial - Open Door
- Mobile Markets will then run from 2:30-3:30pm in October and November on the first Wednesday of each month.
- Mobile Market will run on an early release schedule of 11am-12:15pm on the first Wednesday of each month starting in December for the balance of the school year.