Weekly Newsletter
May 16, 2024
News from Principal Emma Liebowitz
Check this out!
Deadline Extended - Sanderson Apparel
Would you like Sanderson apparel? Click on the link below to order Sanderson apparel. The store will be open until Sunday, May 19th. Items can be shipped to your home for a fee or sent home from school with your child. Once the store closes, it will take 2-3 weeks to get the items to you. https://cart.silverscreendesign.com/sanderson_academy/shop/home. Please email lindi.russell@gmail.com with any questions.
Emergency Response Training
On Saturday and Sunday, May 18 and 19, the Sanderson Academy building will be used for a live training. There will be several emergency personnel in the building and on school grounds. There will be some loud noises as the drills are being performed. Please call the school office if you have any questions.
Opportunity to Offer After School Enrichement Next Year
Please complete the survey at https://forms.gle/MoSwK2bjq5Rwa8Ec6
Upcoming Events
Friday, May 17 - Senior Luncheon
Monday, May 20 - Ohketeau Presentation in afternoon
Wednesday, May 22 - All School Meeting at 2:15
Thursday, May 23 - Third Grade to Wilder Homestead
Friday, May 24 - First Grade Trout Release
Friday, May 24 - Fourth Grade Book Launch at 10:00
Monday, May 27 - No School
Wednesday, May 29 - All School Meeting/Share the Music
Thursday, May 30 - Field Day (Rain Date 6/4)
Friday, May 31 - Art Showcase
Link to Sanderson Academy calendar.
MCAS Dates
May 21 - Sixth Grade Math
May 23 - Sixth Grade Math
Library News and FUNDRAISER from Robin Wilson
LIBRARY FUNDRAISER
The Sanderson Library is holding a ‘Donors Choose’ fundraiser for the next week to purchase new MCBA books and display shelves for the library. If donors add the promo code LIFTOFF at checkout, their donations will be doubled up to $50 for the next 7 days. Click here to donate and learn more. Thank you!
ROBOTS
Robots have descended upon the Sanderson Library! Below are some images of 3rd graders using “Bee Bots,” which teach kids sequencing, estimation, problem-solving, and the basics of coding. Plus, they are lots of fun! For this challenge, students had 10 minutes to build a maze and program their Bee Bot to complete the maze in one sequence. Then they had to create a sequence for their Bee Bot to complete another group’s maze! Older students are enjoying the Sphero Robots. Stay tuned for more!
News from the Health Office from Nurse Loranna
Anxiety is one of the most common emotional problems in children. Childhood anxiety can often go undiagnosed as it can present in different ways that may make it harder to diagnose and understand. While sometimes anxiety presents in the “typical” ways such as shyness, avoidance, fear and worry it can also present in more challenging behavior such as outbursts, running/eloping or anger. This can make it especially challenging as a child may not get the support they so desperately need. “Anxiety is one of those diagnoses that is a great masquerader,” explains Laura Prager, MD, director of the Child Psychiatry Emergency Service at Massachusetts General Hospital. “It can look like a lot of things. Particularly with kids who may not have words to express their feelings, or because no one is listening to them, they might manifest their anxiety with behavioral dysregulation.”
See the link for more info: (anxiety leads to problem behavior)
The child mind institute has an abundance of really helpful, science based and practical information and ways to support our children’s emotional health. Here are some ways to support your child when they are feeling anxious, how to respect feelings of anxiety without empowering fears:
The goal is not to eliminate anxiety, but to help a child manage it
Don’t avoid things just because they make a child anxious
Express positive, but realistic, expectations
Respect their feelings, but don’t empower them
Don’t ask leading questions (“are you worried about the math test?” can be, “how are you feeling about the math test?” instead)
Don't reinforce a child's fears
Encourage the child to tolerate their anxiety (the message should be- “I know that it is hard, and I know you can do it” I will help you…)
Try to keep the anticipatory period short
Think things through with your child
Try to model healthy ways to cope with anxiety
Please check out the website further for more in depth ways you can support a child who is dealing with anxiety.( how tp support an anxious child )
Preschool news from Ms. Freeman and Ms. Becky
Sanderson preschool had a farm E-I-E-I-O! This week we are talking about farms, farm animals, and farm equipment. We are using our creativity to help make animals for our classroom display. Our fine motor skills and abilities to use art tools and materials have grown so much throughout the year! The photo shows sheep, chickens, cows, pigs, and horses.
We also have 2 baby chicks! It is always so exciting to have a successful hatch. We have a classroom full of animal lovers eager to learn more about our chicks and how to care for them.
Preschool News from Ms. Melanie and Ms. Kylee
Preschoolers have been learning all about how plants grow. We began with a discussion about the important elements that a plant requires to grow and survive. The children knew that most plants grow from seeds. They also knew that seeds need to be planted in soil and watered in order to grow. We talked about the importance of the sun in providing light and heat. The children examined many different kinds of seeds. They noticed that carrot seeds are very small and scarlet runner bean seeds are much larger and are a pretty purple and black color.
Preschoolers continued to learn how there is a tiny plant inside the seed with food for it to begin growing. The children noticed that the outermost part of seeds can look and feel very different. Some are smooth, some are bumpy and some are very hard. They learned that the “shell” has a special name, called a seed coat. It has an important role to keep the seed safe and it also helps to keep it living longer.
Preschoolers have had an opportunity to plant seeds both inside, under our grow lights and outside in our preschool garden. They are learning to be wonderful gardeners and stewards of the land.
Kindergarten News from Ms. Sarah, Ms. Veronica and Ms. Beckwith
New in our play centers: our science center now features ocean artifacts—shells, crab shells and claws, shark egg casings, and more! The drama area (pretend play) is now set up for a visit to the beach! And the art center now features trace and build your own dragon or unicorn art sets. Outside, we are enjoying seeing how our different outside areas are changing as we move through our season of spring. The vernal pool has shrunk by almost 2 feet already and the field has exploded with dandelions! The kids have been very interested in learning how to make dandelion chains and crowns. And we were so excited to fit in one more round of kite flying—now everyone has had a chance to try it out!
First Grade News from Ms. Wyckoff and Ms. April
We recently began a new module in EL and a new unit in math! Our third and final EL module of the year will focus on birds and all their unique features. We kicked off the first unit by reading Birds by Kevin Henkes, followed by looking at different pictures of birds and talking about what we notice and what they all have in common. First graders were given a researcher's notebook to keep track of all the birds we will learn about. The first bird children drew and labeled was a green-bee eater! In math, we are learning fun penguin facts while practicing counting by 2’s and adding 9s and 10s to a given number. Number corner focuses on our friend Tad hopping all over the calendar to catch some bugs. Children are quickly learning how to add 10 and 1 and subtract 10 and 1 from any given number.
This week we took our science learning on the road and took a field trip to The fish ladders and Great Falls Discovery Center in Turners Falls. First graders learned all about the importance of fish ladders and elevators and how they help fish migrate north to spawn. At GFDC first graders got to see the incredibly diverse community of life that call the Connecticut River watershed (410 miles from the Canadian border to the Long Island sound) their home. We spotted a bear, a moose, a flying squirrel, an Osprey, a shortnose sturgeon and so many more! Ask your first grader to tell you about some of the animals they saw and learned about today! First graders were respectful and responsible during this trip and received many compliments along the way. A big thank you to all the parent chaperones who joined us!
Second Grade News from Ms. Lilly, Ms. Laura and Ms. Taylor
This week we have been working on growing patterns in math. We worked with unifix cubes and pattern blocks to determine what comes next in difficult patterns. We then expanded on that knowledge to determine what would come much later in the pattern as well. In science, we have been having fun learning about water. We’ve explored where rivers start and how sand is made. We will also learn about flash floods and erosion. In ELA we have been learning about plants and pollinators through nonfiction texts. We are discussing different text features in nonfiction books. On Tuesday we went outside to enjoy the weather and do scientific drawings with labels and a lot of details. Each student found different plants to draw, we drew dandelions, chives, flowers, leaves, and more!
Fourth Grade News from Ms. Lagoy and Ms. Upright
Fourth graders are beginning a new unit in math. This unit will review and extend their understanding of fractions, decimals, and multi-digit multiplication. In this unit, students will compare fractions, recognize and generate equivalent fractions, represent and compare decimal numbers, and multiply two-digit numbers with the standard algorithm and other methods.
This is generally the point in the year when fourth graders start asking why they can’t just use a calculator. We want fourth graders to become proficient with mental and paper-and-pencil methods for adding, subtracting, multiplying, and eventually, dividing. They need practice to become even more proficient at these skills, so they will not be using calculators, for now.
Your child will learn and practice these skills by solving problems like those shown below:
News from Ms. Prew
Click here for pages and pages of exciting online math games! You can sort by grade level (preschool through fifth grade) or by topic. Please let me know which games you try out - I can’t wait to hear. Enjoy! :) aprew@mtrsd.org
Reading News from Mrs. Morey
The DIBELS testing window will be open from May 13th to the 24th. This is a 1-1 literacy assessment of foundational skills. The subtests are grade specific and can range from letter naming to passage fluency. Each subtest is one minute long, a snapshot of your child's progress throughout the school year. The results of these assessments are used to show a students progress throughout the school year, helps determine an instructional focus for small groups and can help to show effectiveness of interventions. If you have any questions about DIBELS feel free to reach out, my email is kmorey@mtrsd.org
Mindful Movement News from Ms. Sue
Finally we could do some outdoor mindfulness walks on the Sanderson Fitness Loop!! It finally feels like spring! Lots of birds to listen to, sites of spring to see…orange salamanders, fiddleheads turned ferns, and green leaves everywhere. While the older grades had the time to go outside and experience what it is like to walk backwards or sideways for a distance, the younger grades had nature brought into the classroom…we had 4 stations, Apple tree branches and blossoms, the smell of Balsam Fir tree, beautiful flowers, and birds nests with pieces of Robin egg shells. I hope you and your family are able to do some mindful nature walks.
3rd Grade doing the walk backwards activity. 6th grade finishing up their time at Sanderson on the stonewall path.
IEP Workshop
Join us for the Caregiver Workshop to:
* understand DESE's new IEP Process
* become familiar with the new forms
* learn to navigate the new processes
Follow the link to the virtual session on May 20 here:
Community News, Events and Job Postings
Check out what is happening in our area!
About Us
Email: eliebowitz@mtrsd.org
Website: https://sanderson.mohawktrailschools.org/
Location: 808 Cape Street, Ashfield, MA, USA
Phone: (413) 628-4404
Facebook: facebook.com/SandersonAcademy