Spofford Times Newsletter 

         Third graders are continuing to work hard in all areas of the curriculum.  Our classroom pumpkin projects went wonderfully, and we'd like to thank all of you who made this exciting event possible by either donating supplies or volunteering in the classroom.  The children investigated the circumference, weight, seed count, and buoyancy of their pumpkins while working together as a team.

         Teachers would also like to thank parents for their at-home support with student Fluency Bags.  The children are coming into class with a clearer understanding of what it means to read fluently.  Your feedback is so important to your child's growth and success.

         Please continue to have your child practice their basic facts each night.  At this time, students should have a strong grasp of addition and subtraction, which will serve as a strong foundation for their transition into multiplication and division concepts.

         As we enter into the second half of Term 1, please be aware that report cards for Term 1 will be going home in early December.  Your child's teacher will send home a sign-up sheet for conferences near the end of November.  Be sure to sign up and send these back in a timely manner so that teachers can accommodate everyone's schedule.

As always, thank you for your continued support at home! 

FROM THE BAND OFFICE

The Band will begin its annual "Poinsettia Sale" fundraiser this month. Please look for our Backpack flyer during the week of November 14th and help support our program as you decorate your home with a purchase of these beautiful holiday plants. Orders and payment will be due back at Spofford on Wednesday, November 30th and distribution of the plants will be at Spofford on the early release day, Wednesday, December 7th,  between 11:30am - 2:30pm. Parents help is needed. Please contact Mrs. Monty or Mrs. Langill if you can offer your time.

The 5th & 6th Grade Winter Concert will be held in the Masconomet auditorium on Tuesday, December 6th at 7:00pm.  All bands will have the opportunity to rehearse on stage at Masco that day. 6th Grade band members must arrive at Masco with no later than 7:20am and will be transported by bus to Spofford at 9:15am.  5th Grader Band members will board buses at Spofford at 9:00am and return to Spofford at 10:45. Detailed information about the rehearsals and evening concert will be email to all parents later this month. Parent volunteers are needed to transport large equipment to Masco and at the rehearsals. Please contact Mrs. Monty or Mrs. Langill if you can help.

To succeed, it's important that all band members religiously attend instrumental lessons. If your child is unable to make his/her lesson at the appropriate time because of illness or important classroom activity, please contact me beforehand or as soon as possible so I can try to reschedule the lesson. You can help your child learn an important life skill by encouraging him/her to check the lesson time for any possible the night before.

IMPORTANT BAND DATES - Mark your calendar now!

More dates have been added to our performing calendar.  Visit the Band website often as updates become available  

http://teacherweb.com/MA/SpoffordPondSchool/SpoffordPondBand/h.0.aspx

November 11  - Veteran's Day ceremony, East Boxford Select 6th Graders 11:00am

November 30th - Poinsettia orders due back

December 6th   -  Winter Concert for 5th & 6th Grade Bands 7:00pm

December 7th   -  Poinsettia pick up  11:30am - 2:30pm

December 23rd - All School Concert assembly - 5th & 6th Grade Bands 9:00am

January 4th       -  Beginning Band Wednesday & Friday morning rehearsals start

January  9th      -  5th Grade Jazz Band rehearsals begin

January 25th     -  Beginning Band "Sneak Peak" concert 6:30pm

March 8th          -  Massachusetts State House Concert  for 6th Grade Bands

April 25th           -   Spring Concert for 5th & 6th Grade Bands 7:00pm

May 25th            -  Memorial Day assembly - 6th Grade Concert Band 9:00

May 28th            -  Memorial Day Parade in West Boxford - 5th & 6th Grade Bands

June 10th     -  Pawtucket Red Sox Concert and ballgame - 5th & 6th Grade Bands

Also coming up in June - Beginning Band Spring Concert, Senior Citizen's Concert & Luncheon (6th Grade Concert & Jazz Bands,) Recital Night (all 4th, 5th & 6th grade band members and the 6th Jazz Band,) 6th Grade Jazz Band concert at Cole School, "End of Year Spofford Pond" concert assembly (5th & 6th Grade Concert & Jazz Bands.)

One of the primary focuses this year within our Boxford English Language Arts Curriculum is in implementing the new Tri-Town Writing Model from Preschool to Sixth grade.  The model has been aligned to the new Common Core Standards and is developed around the Writer's Workshop Model structure, as well as incorporating instruction for developing the 6 Traits of Writing within the three primary genres of writing that are now part of the Common Core Standards; narrative, informative, and opinion.  Many staff members participated in a summer writing course offered through the Tri-Town which was specifically designed around the Tri-Town Model Curriculum, or are currently enrolled in a self-paced interactive learning module to complete similar lessons and course work.  As an educator of Literacy, it is very exciting to hear about the great things that are happening in writing across the Tri-Town.  If you are interested in learning more about the Tri-Town Writing Curriculum you may visit the Tri-Town School Union website at www.tritownschoolunion.com

To further our professional development in writing, Penny Clare, a Literacy Consultant and long time educator at the elementary level will be visiting each of the six schools in the Tri-Town.  Ms. Clare was the course facilitator for the summer writing course and will be modeling lessons at each grade level to put into practice the ideas and content from the course. Spofford Pond School was able to host Ms. Clare this past month, with all classroom teachers and special education teachers given the opportunity to observe a lesson and then meet with Ms. Clare for ideas and suggestions to build on their expertise in the area of writing. While teachers are already delving into the curriculum, having this opportunity should provide some support in informing our ongoing instruction and give us additional information, ideas, and suggestions for guiding us toward best practices in writing.

I, myself, have set a goal to be actively involved in the process of implementing our new curriculum and have had the opportunity already, with many thanks to the host classroom teachers, to go into the classroom and present a writing lesson.  This is a wonderful way for me to work right along with teachers to understand where our students are and where they need to go.  I will continue to make this a priority throughout the entire school year.

As conferences come rolling around (they'll be here before we know it), I hope that you will take the opportunity to talk to your child's teacher and ask about what they are doing in writing, as well as some ideas for how you might support your child in writing at home.

Thank you,

Donna Morton

ELA Instructional Support Specialist

Coaches of athletic teams regularly tell their teams to "practice like you want to play."  The same advice often holds true for test preparation.  The most beneficial type of studying is often an active approach that mirrors the format of the actual test.  Many students, with their parents help, do this already with one of the most common school assessments - the spelling test.  Orally practicing the test is a good idea, but by helping a child take a written practice quiz on a Thursday night, parents are providing an even better learning and studying opportunity.  For example, have your child write or type a list of vocabulary words that are separated from their definitions to use as matching practice if this is a format often utilized by your child's teacher on assessments. 

The process of developing the practice items is as important and beneficial to improve your child's understanding as actually utilizing them to study.  Help your child make up a set of true and false or fill in the blank statements as they prepare for the next Social Studies or Science test.  It is common for teachers to let students know possible short answer or essay questions prior to the assessment.  Support your child with outlining or writing a detailed and complete answer to possible questions while they have all of the study materials at their fingertips.  Practicing like you want to play is a great way to prepare, learn, and practice while you still have the opportunity to reference materials and address areas of confusion or difficulty. 

Many thanks to Mrs. Roccio Zajic for the beautiful Offrenda which she set up for "The Days of the Dead" commemoration.

We learned that that special day is not one of fear, but one to honor and celebrate the lives of loved ones who havedied. It is a wonderful time for the whole community to share the love that we had for our family members and dear friends.Also, looking ahead, please mark Sunday, Dec. 4 down in your calendar as a day when all the Spofford, and indeed,Boxford community can begin your holiday shopping by participating in our 3rd Barnes & Noble Book Fair to be held at theB & N store near the North Shore Mall. Items purchased throughout the store, including the cafe, will accrue towardpurchasing power for our school library. You must mention Spofford Pond at the register, however, or for online purchasesmade throughout the week. Our ID is 10467397.Author & pastry chef Joanne Chang, author of Flour, will be at the store from 12:00-2:00. She is a prize winning chef and author of thissuper baking cookbook. At 2:00-4:00, Boxford author Kathleen Duble will be available to sign copies of her latest book,

Phantoms In The Snow. Please join us for this family event and see your friends and neighbors!

CALLING ALL BOXFORD POPPAS TO SERVE SPAGHETTI ON DEC. 2ND!

Thanks to all of the 4th and 5th grade parents who volunteered to help run activities in the classroom during last week's DASH sessions.  4th graders explored various learning styles, as well as invisible disabilities.  In 5th grade, students learned about different fine motor and gross motor physical disabilities.  The success of the DASH program depends on the help of many parent volunteers.  It cannot happen without all of you, and we appreciate your support.

A reminder:  Parent volunteers are invited to attend the DASH guest speaker presentations.  Our 4th grade speakers are the Student Advocate group from the Landmark School in Beverly.  They will be here on November 8th at 10:15am.  Dr. Paul Spiers is our speaker for the 5th grade.  He will be at Spofford Pond School on November 18th at 2pm."

Time to clean out those closets!  Girl Scout Troop #63056 is conducting a coat drive to benefit Community Giving Tree.  Please drop clean, gently used children's coats in the bins provided in the lobbies of Spofford and Cole Schools.  The girl scouts will collect the coats on Tuesday, Nov. 15 and bring them to Community Giving Tree so that local children in need will get coats in time for winter.

Also: Many thanks to all of you who donated to the Toy Fair, and who shopped the Fair!  You helped keep Community Giving Tree's doors open for the hundreds of children who rely on us.  If you and your family want to "Help for the Holidays," visit us at the annual Holiday Walk in West Boxford on Saturday, December 3, 9am - noon, and we'll show you simple ways to pitch in.  Or visit our website at www.communitygivingtree.org.

Tri-Town Council Horizons After-School Ski/Snowboard Program at Bradford Ski Mountain - REGISTER ON 11/9/11 or 11/10/11

Register for the Winter 2012 Program on Wednesday, November 9 from 6-7pm Spofford Pond School Lobby or Thursday, November 10 from 9-2:45pm at the Tri-Town Council Office (49 Main St. Topsfield). All registrations must be done in person. The Ski/Snowboard program begins on Wednesday, January 4 and runs for six consecutive weeks. More information is available on our website: www.tritowncouncil.org.  If you have questions, please email skibradford@tritowncouncil.org or call the TTC office at 978-887-6512.

MALDEN - The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education today announced that Governor Deval Patrick has proclaimed November 2011 to be the Commonwealth's 15th annual Family Literacy Month in celebration of the importance of reading and the essential role that parents/guardians and families play in the educational success of their children.

A variety of Family Literacy Month activities are planned across the state throughout the month of November in support and celebration of literacy, lifelong learning and family well-being. Family Literacy Month events will kick-off with the 4th Annual Family Literacy Celebration, supported by the Boston Medical Center and "Reach Out and Read" and hosted by the Boston Children's Museum from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, November 4th.

"An early love of reading is key to a child's development," said Governor Deval Patrick. "We use this celebration each year to recognize the important contributions that families make all year round in helping children develop strong literacy skills."

Governor Patrick is committed to increasing early literacy rates, understanding that literacy is a foundation for learning, and has convened a Joint Departmental Committee comprised of members of the Boards and the Commissioners of Early Education and Care, Elementary and Secondary Education, and Higher Education, along with Education Secretary Paul Reville, to coordinate policy and support to make early literacy a reality for all students.

"Having strong literacy skills is a key to success in all academic subjects, not just English language arts," said Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester. "Students who participate in rich reading and literacy activities early in their lives are better positioned for success in school and beyond."

"Literacy starts at home, so we are happy to promote Family Literacy Month as one way to help reinforce lessons learned at school that will help students continue their learning," said Secretary Reville. "An excellent education requires excellent literacy skills and we are all committed to ensuring students have access to instruction that prepares them for success."

Family Literacy Month is sponsored by the Massachusetts Family Literacy Consortium (MFLC), a group comprised of state agencies, community organizations, parents, and providers to expand and strengthen family literacy and support.

Some of the Family Literacy Month events taking place in Massachusetts include:  

• November 4 - The Boston Children's Museum will conduct the 4th Annual Family Literacy Celebration from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Mitchell Chester, Early Education and Care Commissioner Sherri Killins and Secretary of Education Paul Reville will each read stories to children and families during this event. There will also be hands-on literacy activities for families, take home resources and literacy materials. Participating agencies include ReadBoston; Jumpstart; Children's Trust Fund; Raising a Reader; Countdown to Kindergarten Boston; Newton Free Library; TERC; Wiggles Press; Kool Smiles; Neighborhood Health Plan; Women, Infants & Children (WIC); Boston Medical Center; and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Office for School Nutrition, Health and Safety.

• November 5 - Cambridge will hold its 15th Annual Cambridge Family Literacy Fun Day from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Cambridge City Hall for all Cambridge families with children in pre-K through grade 5. This free event will include children's activities, free books, Bonaparte the Magician, sing-a-longs, face painting and more.

• November 5 - Chelsea will hold its 6th Annual Family Literacy Day, called "Chelsea Reads," at the Chelsea Public Library from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Raising a Reader and the Chelsea/Revere Family and Community Network Program have partnered with the library to provide this free event for toddlers and up. The event will include book-based activities, storytellers, face painting, music, games and prizes, as well as special guest Radio Disney. All children under 12 will receive a backpack full of books while supplies last.

• November 7 - The East Brookfield Public Library will hold a family night with stories, crafts, fun, activities and surprises for the whole family from 6:00 - 7:30.  The Theme for November is "Celebrate Family and Thanksgiving".

• November 10 - The Lawrence Adult Learning Center will hold a family literacy fun day from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. This event will include games, activities, special guests reading to children, music, face painting, a free raffle and refreshments.  Every child will get a book and parents will learn about community resources.

• November 12 - The Holyoke Children's Museum will host "Reading is Power", a free family day of fun and learning from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Adult literacy and early childhood providers, local businesses and other community-based organizations in the greater Holyoke area are partnering to conduct this event that will include free books, hands-on activities for families, carousel rides, take home resources and literacy prizes.

• November 16 and 17 - Medford will conduct Story Time for children ages 2 to 5 at the Medford Public Library at 10:00 a.m.  Families will listen to stories and do simple crafts.  On November 17th, parents and children from birth to three will engage in an interactive songfest.

• November 29 - Haverhill Public Library will conduct a "Mother Goose Meets Mother Nature" event for families with children ages 3-5 at 10:00 a.m. Families will explore environmental science through children's literature and activities.

For more information on family literacy and ways to promote family literacy, learning and involvement, visit the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's website at http://www.doe.mass.edu/familylit/month/.